Mom Of 3 Combats Her Children’s Fixation On Candy By Exposing Them To “All Foods”
Interview With Author
Every person only has one opportunity in life – therefore, it’s imperative to make the most of it.
Soak up the sun, enjoy that autumn breeze, celebrate your children, gather your family for Friday night dinners and eat that snack you’ve been thinking about for the whole day.
Happiness is one of our principal drives; however, when society is so busy dictating what’s “good” and what’s “bad”, it’s hard to appreciate the number one thing responsible for fueling our body.
Having a healthy connection with food will promise you a whole range of benefits, both mental and physical. Yet you mustn’t forget that you’re also in charge of passing the same habits onto your offspring, and this Instagram user might have a trick or two to teach you.
More info: Instagram | KL Nutrition & Fitness
You know what they say: “Count memories, not calories”
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Children and their fixation on candy: a lifelong dilemma that affects pretty much every single parent. Although it might seem that processed sugar is something that needs to be strictly regulated, this tactic can backfire, since we all know what happens when something is off-limits.
Registered dietician exposes her controversial take on candy, says her kids are exposed to all foods
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
“What’s something that you’ll get a lot of hate for if you say it out loud?” – this mom of 3 turned to Instagram to share how she combats the influence that candy has over kids. The video has managed to get over 182K likes alongside 1509 comments that discussed her intriguing approach.
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
The nutrition expert revealed that when people become aware of her profession, they instantly assume that her children only consume “healthy” foods and rarely get candy or “treats” – where in fact, that’s not true at all. The woman’s kids are exposed to all foods: fruits, vegetables, candy, cake, meat, cookies, cheese, beans and fish – they eat it all.
The woman claims that when humans feel deprived of something, they want it more
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
Moreover, the mother introduced a candy basket because one of her 5-year-olds has been talking about it non-stop. She added that the kids each had three pieces in total throughout the day together with their meals and that she can already see the obsession drifting away.
She keeps candy in plain view because her 5 Y.O. wouldn’t stop talking about it, and she can already see the obsession decreasing
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Bored Panda managed to reach out to the creator of the video, who said: “I’ve been a registered dietitian and certified personal trainer for over 10 years. I’ve worked in many different areas over the years – gyms, grocery stores, physical therapy and sports medicine centres and most recently for myself.”
“I started KL Nutrition & Fitness in 2020 when I was laid off and transitioned to virtual personal training and nutrition coaching. I’m currently developing a group strength training and nutrition program targeted towards moms of young kids. The program will feature weekly strength training workouts, a family-friendly nutrition guide, nutrition masterclasses that go over specific feeding/food exposure strategies for kids and helping them develop a positive relationship with food. There will be no promotion of dieting, weight loss, restriction or putting pressure on kids to eat certain foods.”
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
BP wondered what inspired Kristen to make the video, to which she said: “I think a lot of parents assume that if they restrict their kids from ‘junk food,’ that they are encouraging them to eat healthy. In reality, it’s much more realistic to expose them consistently to all different kinds of food and allow them to self-regulate. I’ve been putting in more effort to showcase some of the strategies I use with my kids to help them do this so that’s where the video idea came from.”
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
We then asked Kristen whether she and her family always had such a great connection with food: “I have definitely learned a lot about fostering a positive relationship with food in my kids since having my twins almost 6 years ago. As a dietitian, I have a very good understanding of food, nutrition and the science of all of it. Food restriction has never made sense to me so when I was thinking about how I wanted to approach feeding my kids, I did a lot of research and had a strategy planned from the start. It has ebbed and flowed with time but overall, I feel really good about the way my kids see food and I hope they have a solid enough foundation to navigate through all the misinformation out there.”
The author of the video argues that “If you offer it more, the novelty wears off”
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Serving it all at once is one example of how Kristen teaches her kids that food is just food; dessert foods are not rewards, nor are they bribes or something special.
The creator added that she believes that there’s no moral value to food. No one is good or bad based on what they consume, and her kids don’t need to be on their best behavior in order to get a treat.
They don’t need to eat their vegetables before enjoying dessert, as doing so can put certain dishes on a “pedestal” which would then create an obsession.
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
BP wanted to know if there’s a piece of advice that Kristen would like to offer to folks who deprive their offspring of things like sweets: “Be open-minded to learning a different way of approaching food with your kids. Just because your parents did things a certain way, doesn’t mean you have to do it that way. The “clean plate club” is out, listening to your tummy is in!”
She suggests refraining from using dessert foods as rewards and bribes
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
Image credits: kl.nutrition.and.fitness
Lastly, the woman said: “The number one way kids navigate their relationship with food is by watching their caregivers. They watch you eat, listen to the language you use about food (Do you say food is ‘bad’, ‘good’, ‘junk’, ‘unhealthy’, healthy’?) and also how you talk about yourself (Do you talk about how you need to lose weight? How you feel fat? How you need to burn off those cookies?) They hear and internalize ALL of it. Eating disorders are starting as early as 6 years old now. We need to do better for the next generation.”
You can watch the video here
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Fellow netizens shared their thoughts and opinions on this matter
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Whilst this may work for some, I know my grandson LOVES sweets and that's all he will eat, all day, everyday, if given the chance. Sugar can be an addiction for some and having it out just makes them want it.. I know this from personal experience... the only time I lose interest is when it's all gone.
Yes, I don't see this working with my two boys (ages 3 and 7). They choose candy above anything. I have no doubt they would continue to want it.
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My parents did this with alcohol when I was a teenager. Never felt the need to sneak around and drink
My parents did this as well. If I asked what they were drinking, they would tell me and allow me to have a sip. Alcohol was never a mystery to me. I never felt the need to binge drink because of it.
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I have a 4.5 year old and I often have candy and other sweets foods out in the open within reach for her as well and honestly I didn't know about this at all in the beginning but this way of thinking that the op has works. Because my daughter doesn't even like candy no more. I often offer her candy and she tells me she doesn't like candy. She loves seaweed through. Lol. Maybe I am lucky too I don't know. But I do feel blessed with two great daughters that I have. I would not change a thing about them.
Same for one of my other grandsons...he will say no to candy, loves seaweed...but beware seaweed, if eaten often, it can cause thyroid and other problems. I had to do some research after finding out he was eating it everyday, sometimes twice a day.
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I dunno. I was raised to not have candy for dinner. I was allowed to have sweets, but I had to eat dinner first, and dinner did not include candy. I didn't suffer because of that and I don't have food issues as an adult. In a country where 42% of all adults are obese, maybe a bit of attention to nutrition is not entirely out of place?
You know, I just thought about it right now... Junk food was taboo around our house. What caught me off guard was alcohol. Alcohol wasn't deamonized around our house. My mom would sometimes let me have a very weak white russian (milk and kalua) for special occasions and my great grandmother would let me have a sip of her red beer. It was just never that big of deal in my family so, I never really felt compelled to sneak it.
What about developing a taste for good food? She just mixes everything, how will the kids ever know what goes with what? I'm a bit of a food snob, and realize this is probably not the first thing this mother values, but why not teach your kids taste?! Eggs and candy? On a gross plastic plate? Nope.
Food distortion is based on very early life experiences when introduced to food, and the physical ability to eat that food. Trying a tacky food with four teeth can be troublesome and sticky foods disliked, unless reintroduced in a positive way later. Children don't have a sugar tolerance, that develops at maturity, so it's the fascination that needs to be curbed. Having it visible and limiting serving sizes in reasonable doses reduces fascination. Plus, star burst and egg flavor clash, and she might not want to try it again.
If your kids aren't eating candy at home, they almost certainly will be at school, or other kids' homes. This is smart, and it removes the whole allure of it. Same way European kids are exposed to alcohol at a younger age, and sex doesn't nearly have the same taboo as it does in North America. It becomes just another thing. That's healthy.
It might work actually. My mom loves chocolate, so we always had lot of candies at home when I was a kid. And the older I got, the less interested in chocolate I got. Now I don't even like it that much. I'd prefer a steak over a chocolate bar any day.
I have done this with my kids too. No food is associated with being a good or bad person. There is chocolate available whenever in the fridge. They have never craved it, never binged on it. When they get given sweets at parties they tend to nibble a tiny portionor bring it home where it ends up forgotten in a drawer. BTW I battled eating disorders all though my teens and twenties. As a child I was given sweets and chocolate only when I was "good" and this messed up my attitudes towards food (although size zero culture gave me body dysmorphia for life). My kids choose fruit over sweets most of the time. They are also not forced to finish their plate of food at mealtimes. This overrides their natural satiety signals and they cannot regulate their own appetite after this.
I don’t agree with this at all. If you work with recovering addicts, most say the same thing, there wasn’t any particular “gateway drug,” their addiction issues started in very early childhood with sugar. Sugar is addictive for most people. You don’t know which child has a predisposition to addiction or compulsive behaviors. I think this would work for a certain small percentage of children and families that already have good impulse control. No trauma. No compulsive behaviors. Those children and families are incredibly lucky but unfortunately imho are in the minority. I do agree that we should stop using food as rewards but the rest I reject.
Growing up, my Mom always had candy and junk food (Doritoes, Tastycakes, Twinkies, Ice Cream, Bubble Yum, Soda, etc...), Sweets were always in our house so they weren't a novelty. My siblings and I all adults and have always been thin. As an adult I don't like sugar or sweets. We had a family of 4 siblings we were friends with and their Mom never kept sweets in the house, she was always on a diet and if there were sweets they were diet candies. Each one of those siblings grew up with huge weight issues and are not thin to say the least.
Grew up with ‘bad foods’ and the amount of food my tiny mum thought was appropriate so was often hungry as it wasn’t enough food for me. I feel guilty about any bad item I eat, binge eat, have a fear of hunger and have unsuccessfully dieted my whole life. Growing up in the super skinny 90’s with an older boyfriend who loved the Callista Flockhart look and encouraged me to lose weight didn’t help. I’m trying my best with my child but it’s actually school that labels food bad and good and I have to counter it.
This would work with my 4yo, not with my 2yo. Maybe when she is older
I agree with this. Our family went to family camp and the moms would freak when the kids wanted Fruit Loops. They're on vacation! It's four days! Just shut up about it!
You should comment on BP more! Neuroscience is fascinating!
Load More Replies...
It's about feeding kids and teaching them a healthy mindset??
Load More Replies...
Whilst this may work for some, I know my grandson LOVES sweets and that's all he will eat, all day, everyday, if given the chance. Sugar can be an addiction for some and having it out just makes them want it.. I know this from personal experience... the only time I lose interest is when it's all gone.
Yes, I don't see this working with my two boys (ages 3 and 7). They choose candy above anything. I have no doubt they would continue to want it.
Load More Replies... My parents did this with alcohol when I was a teenager. Never felt the need to sneak around and drink
My parents did this as well. If I asked what they were drinking, they would tell me and allow me to have a sip. Alcohol was never a mystery to me. I never felt the need to binge drink because of it.
Load More Replies... I have a 4.5 year old and I often have candy and other sweets foods out in the open within reach for her as well and honestly I didn't know about this at all in the beginning but this way of thinking that the op has works. Because my daughter doesn't even like candy no more. I often offer her candy and she tells me she doesn't like candy. She loves seaweed through. Lol. Maybe I am lucky too I don't know. But I do feel blessed with two great daughters that I have. I would not change a thing about them.
Same for one of my other grandsons...he will say no to candy, loves seaweed...but beware seaweed, if eaten often, it can cause thyroid and other problems. I had to do some research after finding out he was eating it everyday, sometimes twice a day.
Load More Replies... I dunno. I was raised to not have candy for dinner. I was allowed to have sweets, but I had to eat dinner first, and dinner did not include candy. I didn't suffer because of that and I don't have food issues as an adult. In a country where 42% of all adults are obese, maybe a bit of attention to nutrition is not entirely out of place?
You know, I just thought about it right now... Junk food was taboo around our house. What caught me off guard was alcohol. Alcohol wasn't deamonized around our house. My mom would sometimes let me have a very weak white russian (milk and kalua) for special occasions and my great grandmother would let me have a sip of her red beer. It was just never that big of deal in my family so, I never really felt compelled to sneak it.
What about developing a taste for good food? She just mixes everything, how will the kids ever know what goes with what? I'm a bit of a food snob, and realize this is probably not the first thing this mother values, but why not teach your kids taste?! Eggs and candy? On a gross plastic plate? Nope.
Food distortion is based on very early life experiences when introduced to food, and the physical ability to eat that food. Trying a tacky food with four teeth can be troublesome and sticky foods disliked, unless reintroduced in a positive way later. Children don't have a sugar tolerance, that develops at maturity, so it's the fascination that needs to be curbed. Having it visible and limiting serving sizes in reasonable doses reduces fascination. Plus, star burst and egg flavor clash, and she might not want to try it again.
If your kids aren't eating candy at home, they almost certainly will be at school, or other kids' homes. This is smart, and it removes the whole allure of it. Same way European kids are exposed to alcohol at a younger age, and sex doesn't nearly have the same taboo as it does in North America. It becomes just another thing. That's healthy.
It might work actually. My mom loves chocolate, so we always had lot of candies at home when I was a kid. And the older I got, the less interested in chocolate I got. Now I don't even like it that much. I'd prefer a steak over a chocolate bar any day.
I have done this with my kids too. No food is associated with being a good or bad person. There is chocolate available whenever in the fridge. They have never craved it, never binged on it. When they get given sweets at parties they tend to nibble a tiny portionor bring it home where it ends up forgotten in a drawer. BTW I battled eating disorders all though my teens and twenties. As a child I was given sweets and chocolate only when I was "good" and this messed up my attitudes towards food (although size zero culture gave me body dysmorphia for life). My kids choose fruit over sweets most of the time. They are also not forced to finish their plate of food at mealtimes. This overrides their natural satiety signals and they cannot regulate their own appetite after this.
I don’t agree with this at all. If you work with recovering addicts, most say the same thing, there wasn’t any particular “gateway drug,” their addiction issues started in very early childhood with sugar. Sugar is addictive for most people. You don’t know which child has a predisposition to addiction or compulsive behaviors. I think this would work for a certain small percentage of children and families that already have good impulse control. No trauma. No compulsive behaviors. Those children and families are incredibly lucky but unfortunately imho are in the minority. I do agree that we should stop using food as rewards but the rest I reject.
Growing up, my Mom always had candy and junk food (Doritoes, Tastycakes, Twinkies, Ice Cream, Bubble Yum, Soda, etc...), Sweets were always in our house so they weren't a novelty. My siblings and I all adults and have always been thin. As an adult I don't like sugar or sweets. We had a family of 4 siblings we were friends with and their Mom never kept sweets in the house, she was always on a diet and if there were sweets they were diet candies. Each one of those siblings grew up with huge weight issues and are not thin to say the least.
Grew up with ‘bad foods’ and the amount of food my tiny mum thought was appropriate so was often hungry as it wasn’t enough food for me. I feel guilty about any bad item I eat, binge eat, have a fear of hunger and have unsuccessfully dieted my whole life. Growing up in the super skinny 90’s with an older boyfriend who loved the Callista Flockhart look and encouraged me to lose weight didn’t help. I’m trying my best with my child but it’s actually school that labels food bad and good and I have to counter it.
This would work with my 4yo, not with my 2yo. Maybe when she is older
I agree with this. Our family went to family camp and the moms would freak when the kids wanted Fruit Loops. They're on vacation! It's four days! Just shut up about it!
You should comment on BP more! Neuroscience is fascinating!
Load More Replies... It's about feeding kids and teaching them a healthy mindset??
Load More Replies...
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