I almost didn’t do this video.
I honestly thought it would be too wacky and out of the box for some readers to handle.
My change of heart occurred when one of my children said, “Mom, you HAVE to do that video”.
Out of the mouths of babes.
So here I am posting a video about the best trick I know for teaching your kids about the dangers of fast food and hopefully keeping them far far away from it forever – even once they are out of the house and making their own decisions.
While this trick won’t work for older children, if your kids are still quite young, it should work well.  My three kids want absolutely nothing to do with fast food and that includes my teenager who has more freedom away from his parents and has the opportunity to indulge if he chose to.
So here it is.   What do you think? Too wacky or totally on target?
Mom Versus Fast Food (Mom Wins)
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sarah, I think it’s a great idea and I wish I had done it with my kids when they were young. Retraining your kids takes much longer than training them right from the beginning. My son is finally starting to learn it on his own as a teenager. He is on a self-motivated fast-food fast right now.
I recently re-met an uncle who is very strict in their eating in their home. Their kids are allowed no fast food, no treats, no sodas. What I’ve seen has taught me the idea of balance and TEACHING kids WHY those foods are not beneficial. These girls, when they get away from the radar are STUFFING THEIR FACES with this stuff they are not allowed. I worry for their health. At home they are perfect little angels with their diets. But not so! There is balance in everything and as long as this is not the main teaching method you use about food then I can see it being ok but not one that I would choose for my family. I allow my children to participate in choices. When their dad took them to McDs (I was NOT happy about it) they scoured the menu and looked for the healthiest things they could find. THAT is what I want them to understand. 🙂
I don’t see this working, you paid $3.63 to just get a toy that is not worth 50 cents. How do you get your kids from thinking that McD is a drive though toy store?
It’s SIMPLE; it WORKS; it’s great. Throwing those things away for a ONE-TIME LESSON really can NOT be considered a waste.
I don’t think it’s necessary to spend money. My 3 and 4-year-olds know that we don’t eat there. They know they have “bad food” and that they need “good food” to grow up big and strong. If they see bad food they might want, they don’t ask for it — they say, “Can you make a good version of that at home?” Which of course, if I can, I will. They also do not watch live TV so they have no idea about the toys either so nothing “hooks” them in in the first place. This works just fine without having to actually order and waste the food.
Are you kidding? I don’t see this as controversial at all. It’s great!
@Debra Bates, she threw away the milk because pasteurized,homogenized milk is garbage.
It might be a little dramatic. If you don’t want your kids to eat it just don’t take them.
I think GREAT IDEA!! Treat the food just like the wrapping for the toy!! GENIUS!!!!
I think GREAT IDEA!! Treat the food just like the wrapping for the toy!! GENIUS!!!!