The Health Trap: Are Your Kids Keeping You from Eating Well?

By Ashley Koff, RD

Are you a parent struggling with your weight? Does this scenario sound familiar? During the day at work or running around with the kids, you are the picture of healthy eating and self-control (“I’d never have a cookie when I give my son one after school or as dessert”). Yet come bedtime’the kids’, not yours’either solo or with a spouse, you find yourself sampling from the goodie stack; and once bitten, it’s tough to stop, so you go back for a little more. 

Nutrition Genie presents rocket-science solution: Let’s stop the after-dinner treats (like it’s really news to you that that’s what’s been undoing your weight-loss efforts).

Conundrum: You say, “I wish I could but it’s so hard, knowing that there are treats in the house,” AND “. . . I have to have X in the house for my kids.”

X might be cookies, chips, Halloween candy (and it’s March), ice cream, etc.

So your kids have now become your weight enablers.

Well, rather than try to develop a superhero power’to face down treats on a daily basis and deny yourself on a consistent basis’consider this:

Do your kids need to have treats in the house?

What does treat mean?

I’m the first to believe and teach that kids should be able to enjoy any food’yup, anything that grows in nature, and as long as portion control is observed. That said, daily dessert or after-school goodie’that ain’t no treat, Mama or Papa!

To treat yourself and your kids right, pick a night or a time weekly or twice weekly when you go out for a goodie. The two of you could have that and meet your weight-loss goals too.

On the other days, try things like these:

• A banana dream: Take a banana and slice it lengthwise; spread NuttZo or other nut butter; wrap in wax paper and freeze’split it with your kids.
• Homemade veggie chips: Take a variety of veggies and cut them to about the same thickness (you may want to steam first to make cutting easier); toss in a mixture of a high-heat oil (coconut, grapeseed) and some sea salt and spices. Place on a cookie sheet and bake then broil (full recipe found in Recipes for IBS [Fair Winds Press, 2007]’my cookbook for optimal digestive wellness).

Ashley Koff, RD
Ashley Koff is an internationally renowned registered dietitian on a mission to improve the health of people across America and beyond through raising public awareness of the value of quality eating. Visit her site at: www.ashleykoffapproved.com