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How To Reduce Junk Food Consumption In Kids

Ophira2 CommentsDecember 24, 2021June 14, 2019

Read time: 13 minutes

Is your child’s increased junk food consumption causing you stress?

Fast food culture is everywhere. And parents today more than any previous generation genuinely want to pursue a healthier lifestyle. But, how does one instill these healthy eating habits in our kids when they are bombarded from all corners by junk food options.

Junk food looks great, tastes delicious and is more appealing than simple home-cooked meals. We all feel like its a losing battle when it comes to junk food and for many families, the junk food consumption has gone out of control.

How do we reduce junk food consumption in kids and at the same time teach kids to eat these highly palatable foods in moderation?

Let’s start by looking at

WHAT IS JUNK FOOD?

Junk food is any food that is high in calories, containing mainly fat, sugar and salt and little to none of the essential nutrients and vitamins needed by the body.

Some examples of Junk Food

Chips

Cakes

Chocolates and Candies

Packaged drinks and Sodas

Highly processed meals like Burgers and Pizzas

Indian fast food: Pakoras, pav bhaji, sev puris, chaats, samosas, etc.

junk food kids-birthday cake with frosting

WHY IS JUNK FOOD UNHEALTHY FOR KIDS?

Let us take a look at some of the junk food effects on the body,

Children need a variety of nutrients for proper growth and development. These vitamins and minerals are lacking in foods classified as junk foods. When the diet is largely comprised of junk foods the child is not getting any nutrients but at the same time consuming a large number of calories. Such a diet comprised mainly of empty calories is one of the reasons why we are now seeing a large number of nutritionally deficient yet obese kids in our country rising.
A consistent diet of junk foods leads to obesity in kids. India now has the second largest number of obese kids globally as published in a study by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Obese kids develop many lifestyle disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular problems. A diet high in added sugars also leads to dental caries.
Street foods also pose a risk of contamination, when made in unhygienic conditions causing foodborne illnesses.
Junk foods also contain various additives like artificial colors, stabilizers, enhancers, preservatives. These are carcinogenic and harmful to the body especially when the child is eating these foods on a consistent basis.

The problems we are facing right now is a population of kids that are larger in size than previous generations, but nutritionally deficient and suffering illness previously considered as adulthood illnesses.

TIPS TO AVOID JUNK FOOD CONSUMPTION

Any healthy lifestyle change first starts at home. It is not possible to control what your kids will eat outside the home in school or at parties, But you can make your home a haven for good quality and nutritious food. At home you are in charge, so make good use of your responsibility as a parent.

Stock the house with an abundance of fruit and vegetables. Make fruit and vegetables attractive and accessible. Plates of chopped up fruit and vegetable sticks served with hummus or homemade yogurt dips can be placed in an accessible place for the kids to munch on when hungry.
Talk about the benefits of eating a healthy diet. Give emphasis to creating awareness about the food they eat, where it comes for, what the food does for the body. For eg Say to your child, spinach makes you strong to fight diseases/ Carrots make our eyes sharper instead of, eat your spinach/carrot it is good for you.
Lead by example. Children are watching us and learning through observation. Are you eating cookies after dinner every night and then complaining your child eats a lot of cookies? He only wants to follow whatever you do, so change your own habits first before you tackle theirs.
Simple swaps. Many people assume that healthy food is bland and boring and therefore never make the necessary changes. There is a lot of junk food hiding in the pantry that’s not good for anyone. Why not bake fries instead of frying them. Try alternatives like baked sweet potatoes, pumpkin, parsnips and taro root once in a while. Believe me, all these vegetable and root fry options taste delicious. Garnish with a few spices and you have a variety to choose from. You won’t miss your regular high salt potato fries.
Go Whole All The Way. The easiest way to eat healthier is to switch to whole foods and reduce processed packaged junk. The more real food you eat the better your families health. Scientists everywhere are urging us to switch to wholesome meals made at home using good quality and local ingredients.

TIPS TO REDUCE JUNK FOOD CONSUMPTION IN KIDS

One of the ways we reduced junk food consumption as a family when outside the house was by carrying our own snacks. Low prep snacks like energy balls and energy bars are quick and easy to grab and go. Fresh fruit, nuts, and dried foods are other options for our to-go snack box. These snacks stay fresh and keep the kids full when outside the home for 4-5 hours.
When this is not possible I look for whole food options where ever I can find them. India is blessed with some amazing tropical fruit produce and vendors are usually at the corner of any street you are in, eg, the humble nariyal paani wala, fruit vendors, or singdana vendors. When at a mall I try and find well-cooked foods (to avoid contamination) like idlis, dosas or a restaurant with good hygiene standards.
When eating dinner outside we usually skip dessert. This tip may not work for many families, but definitely worth a try if you are interested in reducing overall sugar consumption.
Early on when our son was younger, I carried a little snack box especially for him filled with all his favorite snacks when we went to parties or to visit family members. This reduced my stress of what he will eat when out. When you come with your own box of food for your child you can control what the child eats.
As he grows older and is curious about other options at the party we focus on creating awareness about different foods, how they are grown and made. I want him to feel like a part of the socializing and not demonize certain foods. It is important that he learns how to eat intuitively and has knowledge about the food he eats. He will learn to self regulate on his own in time.
We make our own treat foods at home. There are times when he sees his favorite character from a book or some friend eat an ice lolly, chocolate or cake and will request us to buy him that food. If its something I can replicate at home I first give it a go and make him his desired cookie or cake. At other times we set a date and go out and enjoy whatever it is he wants. The key here is to find a good quality product. Nowadays there are many brands that use quality ingredients and minimal additives, all you need to do is a little research. Look for ice creams made using whole milk and not vegetable oils, chocolate brands using less sugar, cake, and pastries made using good quality chocolate and other ingredients. Skip the commercial junk foods if possible.
Use deferring as a tool to avoid bringing back junk food from a shopping trip. Let us say you are at a store and your child spots a candy bar. You know this is not the time of day for him to be eating a candy bar. But your child has started to make repeated requests, get down to his level and say: “I wish I could buy some candy right now, how about I write it on my list for next time.” And the next time you are there, buy it. If the child has forgotten all about it, then great! This trick works well for 2-4-year-olds.
Distraction works with a younger toddler (1-2 years of age), you can point at something else happening in that moment and help them forget about the candy they wanted a minute back.

TIPS TO TEACH KIDS TO EAT JUNK FOODS IN MODERATION

I recently shared how I paired my son’s favorite fried snack with other healthy options like nuts and dry fruits and turned this combination into a trail mix type of snack.

Here is what it looked like:

trail mix for kids — A fried snack mixed in with healthy nuts and dried fruit to make a trail mix.

This can be done with any junk food. Instead of saying “No” and making the food scarce, make it part of a healthy meal and offer in a small quantity. If they like cookies, serve the cookie with dinner. This way they won’t eat dinner in order to earn the cookie and realize that everything is okay in moderation.

One mantra I follow in our home is Ellyn Satter’s division of responsibility, it really teaches the child moderation. It is our responsibility as parents to make available the type of foods and the children will decide what to eat and how much to eat. I serve/make available a whole array of healthy foods for our son to choose from. After that, it is his choice what and how much he wants to eat.

Continuing with the same philosophy, as kids get older give more control, decide on how many days a week they can have a portion of their favorite junk food and then let them choose the food.
Another way to make junk foods look like “just another option” is to place it next to other healthy favorite snack foods your kids enjoy and allow them to choose their own snacks. From personal experience; growing up my parents did not shame me for choosing junk food options, but made sure to praise when I ate something healthy. This really motivated me to continue choosing healthier options.

COMMON SCENARIOS WHERE JUNK FOOD IS PRESENTED TO KIDS AND HOW TO OVERCOME THESE SITUATIONS

Visiting Grandparents

Most parents complain that it is the grandparents that pamper the grandchild and introduce junk foods in the first place. Listen, I know it is hard trying to explain your parenting views on the subject of healthy eating. If this happens once or twice a year you might as well let it pass.

If however, the grandparents are helping you raise your child then you need to have a talk and have everyone on the same page. Explain everything you researched, show them this blog post on how sugar is in everything we eat these days and what it does to those little bodies. And set some ground rules for the family so that everyone comes to a mutual agreement. Each one of you wants the best for your child, you will definitely come to a resolution.

Junk Food At Parties

I already mentioned one of my tips to avoid overeating junk food at parties. Carry your own snack box or feed your child before you leave for the party. This reduces the amount of junk foods consumed at the party.

Junk Food Exposure In School

Now, this is a tricky one, your child saw something in another’s lunch box and wants the same.

In this situation, house rules should apply. Have a day or two each month for your child to try something they desire. There really is no positive to outright banning junk foods, believe me! Only makes them want to rebel and makes scarce food more desirable.

Here is what I feel about this situation, I learned about these foods gradually throughout life and today, a former picky eater and biscuit and cake lover is writing a post on how to reduce junk food consumption. Rome was not built in a day, my friends. Similarly, your child won’t pick up healthy eating habits from the get-go, he has to experience some of it on his own too.

The easiest way to do this is to continue exposure to healthy foods at home, whilst encouraging good food choices, reading books around eating healthy and allowing children to participate in preparing home-cooked meals. And then just letting go of what the child wants to eat outside. You have to trust him to make that choice on the basis of what he learns from you.

Working Parents Dilemma

It is challenging to manage a home, work, child development, and nutrition all at once. Our modern culture has isolated mothers and fooled them into believing that they are “Super Moms”, mothers who can do it all.

This crazy expectation from mothers to “Do it all” is damaging not only their health but that of their children. It is not easy to cook meals from scratch, make healthy snacks day in and day out. Convenience becomes a big factor in deciding what you put on the table over nutrition.

First off, you need a support system to help around the house. Get your husband on board or hire services for tasks that are eating away time from the important life goals. Meal prepping and batch cooking save a lot of time in the kitchen. You schedule out a short time for prepping ingredients that help you build a variety of meals.

Here is a recent blog post I wrote on my meal planning tips. Our family goal is to eat minimal junk foods and cook more at home. I am a work from home mom and don’t do it all by myself. I batch my tasks and divide work between my husband and me.

Besides fresh fruit, nuts and seeds as snacks, we also make snacks at home in batches, this saves us time during the busy week.

We rely on a few healthy packaged snacks. There are many clean eating friendly brands now in the market. With a little bit of research, you can find something suitable devoid of chemical additives and excess sugar.

Here are a few brands we use when we are in a pinch

MumMum Co

Early Foods

Slurrp Farm

If you are already in dealing with a sugar obsessed kid here is a great article on how to gradually bring the child back to a healthier relationship with treat foods.

I hope this article provided solutions to some of the common challenges you face and help you reduce junk food consumption at home.

What are some of the ways you avoid junk foods for your kids? Leave me with your tips in the comments section below.

20 Insanely Easy And Healthy Summer Snacks For Kids

Ophira15 CommentsJune 12, 2022April 17, 2018

Read time: 10 minutes

When I think of summers I remember time spent in our village home during vacations when mom whipped up a number of yummy summer snacks for my brother and me. She took extra effort during our summer vacation to cook special treats and those efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Those yummy summer themed treats are now sepia-toned memories. But this year I wanted to bring back the summer fun I had as a child and now make new memories with my son.

When we were growing up mom would make us jelly and fruit custard, mango milkshakes, homemade ice cream, and chaat every summer.

I want to bring back the same theme and elements to the summer snacks I make, but go a step forward and make them as low or devoid of added sugar and use clean ingredients instead of ready-made packet mixes.

Before I get into the summer snack ideas for kids, I want to stress on hydration. With rising heat levels it is important to maintain hydration in the body.

Most children won’t have plain water, so get creative and make fruit infused waters by adding cucumbers and strawberries, or make lemon and mint flavored water. One of the easiest options is to buy fresh coconut water every day. It helps maintain the electrolyte balance in the body and I don’t know of any child who doesn’t like coconut water.

Other than water focus on adding fruit snacks for kids, for ideas on how to incorporate hydrating fruits into yummy snacks continue reading.

Summer Snacks For Kids

Nice cream: If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love this chilled fruit snack for kids. It is a special treat on hot summer days. We make different versions in our home, the blueberry banana is my sons favorite followed by chocolate nice cream and strawberry banana nice cream. Not only do the frozen bananas and fruit help with battling the summer heat, fruits are rich in so many vitamins and antioxidants that help with strengthening immunity. The more fruit you have the better. Most kids love fruit, which makes this snack a welcome option on any kids plate. In my previous blog post on teething foods for kids, you will find the recipe for blueberry banana nice cream. Here is the recipe for Chocolate banana nice cream: Add 2 frozen bananas, 1 tsp raw cacao powder, ½ tsp pure vanilla extract, 1 tsp maple syrup, a splash of soymilk (helps with consistency), to a blender and blitz. Yummy chocolate banana nicecream is ready! Go crazy with the toppings and add toasted almonds flakes, raw cacao nibs or desiccated coconut.
Fruit salad: A refreshing plate of fruit is one quintessential summer snack we all enjoyed as kids. With mango season here in India, make a yummy bowl of mango and strawberry fruit salad and top it with roasted almond flakes. Another fun take on a fruit salad is to make fruit skewers for the kids. Pineapple, apple, mango can be chopped into bite-sized pieces and added to skewers to offer the kids when they come home from the park.
Popsicles: What is summer without some form of ice cream or popsicles. I recently tried making a mango and mint popsicle for the first time. It was a huge hit. Here is the recipe: Add 1 chopped mango, 200 ml coconut milk and few sprigs of mint to a blender and blitz. Add the mixture to popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours. You can add a tablespoon of maple syrup to make it sweeter or go without it. As long as the mangoes are ripe the sweetness from the mangoes is enough. Here is another mango popsicle that you can try this summer.
Energy bars: This is a great on the go snack summer for kids. You can make variations depending on whats in your pantry and most kids generally love energy bars. It’s like a cleaner version of a chocolate bar, healthy and satiating. Not to mention super easy to make, check here my no bake chocolate energy bar recipe to get started.
Energy bites: Another variation from the energy bar recipe. I choose oats, nut butter and seeds in combinations that make the final recipe protein rich. Also eating oats helps maintain a steady stream of sugar in the blood, that’s why I like oat energy ball recipes as summer snacks for kids. Gives them the energy as they play.
Smoothies: A refreshing and calorie intense snack after a day out in the sun. Add nut butter and seeds like watermelon seeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds to add some healthy fats to the mix. Some of our go-to smoothie combinations are 1) blueberry, soymilk with almond butter, 2) strawberries and peanut butter smoothie, 3) mango, pineapple, spinach leaves green smoothie 4) bananas, date, barley grass juice powder, coconut water and maple syrup 5) Indian summer smoothie: Mango, almond milk topped with roasted almonds. Definitely, try no.5 this summer and watch your kids gulp it down in one go!.
Rawnola: Is made using nuts, seeds and using dates as a binding agent. Rawnola is a great energy-boosting snack on its own or you can use it as a topping for the smoothies or breakfast porridge you make. I serve rawnola as a snack along with fresh coconut and fruit of the day at home. It pairs well with bananas and mangoes. Wondering, how to make rawnola? Soak 2 handfuls of cashews and almonds in water for 20 minutes. Then to blender add a cup of oats, 2 Medjool dates, 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut, along with the nut mixture and blitz. Don’t blitz until its fine texture, you need it to have a coarse texture to look like granola. That’s it this mixture can now be eaten as is with fruit, or with smoothies and porridge. Store in the refrigerator.
Coconut cream: Another super easy summer snack to make at home. Blitz tender coconut in a mixer. The texture should become light and slightly foamy. This can be served chilled and topped with rawnola and summer fruits like mango, pomegranate or berries.
Hummus with vegetable sticks: This spread should be a mainstay in your family diet. Its rich in protein and iron and paired with vegetables like celery, carrots or even baked tortilla chips it makes a perfect summer snack. For an interesting take on the regular hummus check this hummus recipe using rajma (kidney beans).
Smoothie bowls: A smoothie bowl is a regular smoothie taken to the next level. I love decorating smoothie bowls for my son. For a summer themed mango smoothie bowl, use ½ chopped mango, 1 banana, 100 ml almond milk, and blend. Pour into the bowl and top with hemp seeds, chia seeds, berries like raspberries, blueberries (optional) and finely chopped almonds or rawnola. That’s one yummy bowl of deliciousness.

cold snacks for summer- blueberry nice cream

Apple and peanut butter sandwiches: You have probably seen these on Pinterest and they are so insanely easy to make it’s a shame if you don’t try this combination. Cut thin slices of apples and apply peanut butter and serve.
Banana boats: I recently tried to involve my son in some child-friendly cooking. Read assembling of ingredients while making a mess! Ha! Anyway, it was a lot of fun, and since he made these on his own he ate a lot! We used peanut butter and our homemade Nutella as a spread. You can also use any other nut butter of your choice like almond, macadamia, or cashew nut butter. For toppings, we used desiccated coconut (because that’s all we had at home that day) but once again you can make your own combinations using cacao nibs, almond flakes, dry roasted oats, as toppings.
Fruit and yogurt parfait: These can double as a busy morning breakfast or as a cold snack for summer. Add homemade granola or rawnola as a topping. In a glass, alternate between layers of fruit, yogurt, and granola of your choice until the glass is filled. Chill in the fridge and serve the kids when they return from their play outside. For a vegan version replace yogurt with vegan coconut yogurt or coconut cream.
Cheesecake cups: A while back I made these no bake vegan cheesecake cups. The base is made with nuts like almonds or walnuts instead of biscuits. And the cheesecake part is made using coconut cream. The kids will love this dessert snack and will definitely be coming back for more. At the same time, you can be assured you are giving them a snack made of clean ingredients, unlike other store-bought sugary treats. One of my new favorite cold snacks for hot days.
Guacamole with baked chips and vegetable sticks: An easy recipe to make guacamole: take 1 ripe avocado cut and mash with a fork in a bowl, then add half a finely chopped onion, 1 tomato, and handful of chopped coriander. Squeeze a little lemon for flavor, along with salt and pepper. Simple and easy summer dip to go with a variety of sides.
Homemade popcorn: Popcorn is suited for children above the age of 5. I would like to add a word of caution, don’t offer popcorn to toddlers even if they have teeth. Precaution is always better, check this list of foods that pose a choking risk to know more.
Lettuce wraps: An easy refreshing snack for summer. A great way to serve homemade guacamole is to spread it on a clean crunchy lettuce leaf, top with hemp seeds and wrap it. Lettuce is cool and refreshing on a hot day and this way your child learns to eat his greens too.

Indian Summer Snacks

Chilled sprouts summer salad: In a bowl mix millets or couscous, with sprouts, cucumber, tomato, and onions. Season with lime, pepper and some salt. Serve chilled. This salad is a great way to include millets in your child’s diet. Another variation is to add potatoes and black chana to this mix and make a date chutney to go with this combination. It tastes amazing and the kids love the spicy and sweet flavors.
Aamrus: This is a classic summer treat in India. You need a couple of sweet ripe mangoes that you puree. You may add sugar when making a puree, or go without it. Either way, aamrus or mango puree is a superb summer snack packed with vitamins and antioxidants that can be paired with roti or had as is.
Bhel Puri: To make bhel puri baby friendly sans the fried sev and other tidbits follow this recipe: In a bowl take kurmura (puffed rice), 1 chopped boiled potato, 2 tablespoon of boiled chickpeas, add 1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped tomato along with a dash of rock salt and finely chopped coriander leaves. Pair this with a combination of mild mint chutney and date chutney. Baby-friendly bhel puri is ready.

These are some healthy summer snacks we will be enjoying as a family this year. What summer snacks did you have as a child? Also, do you have easy and healthy child-friendly snack recipes for me? I would love to know your ideas too, leave me a comment below.