Grandpa I. ❤️s to treat our family to a meal after the kids have sports events on the weekend. Yesterday we dined at Applebee’s while in Seymour, Indiana for a Cross Country meet.
I’m food aware to my choices and the calorie/macro content of what I eat. When it comes to my children, I guide and prepare, but ultimately long term they have to decide what they’re going to eat. I won’t be by their plates forever!
In looking at the kids’ menu yesterday, I was taken back by the calorie density in the meals. Using the nutritional data on the menu, if a kiddo were to do a burger, fries, and a milkshake, the math told me that meal was some 1730 calories.
That didn’t even include a beverage like a lemonade, a pop, or a juice. That’s just for ONE meal, all kids’ portion sizes.
That’s more than I eat in a day, so it shocked me to see those calorie amounts that a kiddo could consume in just one sitting. I had no idea even the smaller meals could accumulate SO fast!
My goal and role is to educate my kids on what they’re eating. Not only that, I want them to be self-aware and reflect on how their food choices make them feel, think, and perform when it comes to energy and mental clarity. That’s what will guide their upcoming plates, not my “rules”!
My kids love their junk foods. They also eat their colors, too and we are all a work in progress. I did, however, win the battle of the milkshakes yesterday!
Between the 4 of them, I got them to order 2 shakes and share with a sibling. Some was better than none and the serving size was more than enough to satisfy their sweet tooth.
That’s a teachable moment right there!
To Your Wellness,
-Mindy
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