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
Every now and then the media is actually helpful in the battle against fast food. A year or two ago there was a story about the “meat” that Taco Bell uses being the same quality level as what is used in dog food. It made an impression on our kiddos! Now anytime we drive past a Taco Bell I hear a chorus of “they serve dog food” and “that is garbage food” 🙂
Along those lines, THE MEATRIX trilogy is great to show elementary age kids, as it talks about factory processed meats / dairy in an accessible, non-threatening way. They’re all available to Youtube.
I love the concept! I started doing this kind of thing as soon as I realized that I needed to change my eating habits and those of my children— so my youngest children have heard this message since they were tiny, but my older ones still can remember eating that nasty stuff– thankfully, research and thoughtfully sharing the knowledge of how delicious REAL FOOD is, has helped them ‘reason’ their way to making good food choices! I frequently ‘throw out’ food left over from parties, that other people have brought to my house– and for them to see me do that helps them see that what other people may call ‘wasting’ is showing how important good decisions and good food are!
I agree about it being a waste of money, encouraging them to then want cheap toys, (that you will find broken and unsafe soon and just have to throw away)and doing just what you wouldn’t want done with drugs. . .since you brought that up. After all, do we go to the drug dealer and buy a stock in it to throw it away in front of our kids? No. It seems obvious that we are supporting the drug industry then, why not when you darken the steps of the fastfood joint. My kids are just the type that if I took the to McDonalds for a toy and lesson, they would prompt me to need one on every other fast food place. As it is, they rarely ask. My only issue has been with influences from relatives who take them to those places once in a long while on a playdate. . .not because they want to go though.
Sarah, your video is brilliant! Thank you! Money well “invested” on education, not wasted. You’ve just stumbled onto a BIG and important topic for parents – how to educate our kids about good vs bad food. And how to start doing it EARLY so that making good food selection decisions becomes second nature to them. There are several different strategies that can work effectively as many moms have discussed in this string. I’d love to see a whole series of your videos to educate parents and their kids! Are you up for it? 🙂 The sad truth is, most PARENTS don’t know what’s good or bad, let alone how to talk effectively about food to their children. Your videos can help give parents some great ideas when they don’t know where to start!
I totally agree with you on fast food being JUNK and love the video, but how do you handle when you are running errands all day and everyone needs to eat to stay sane (especially for mom)? Or when you are traveling? Do you just run in to a grocery store and buy something healthy there? I am trying to make healthier choices for my family on a very tight budget and finding it extremely hard. Thank you in advance for any answers you have!
An idea! If you have been reading Sarah’s blog for a while– you will have read about the Raw Milk Fast—- My idea for when you are out all day and cannot bring all the good stuff with you from the fridge at home, just bring enough Raw Milk for everybody (2 cups per adult, per meal ‘out’ and 1-2 cups per child, per meal ‘out’) in a small cooler— one of the best things about Raw Milk is that even when it gets left out, gets warm, or sours a bit, it is still super nutritious and tasty! And when you drink Raw Milk, you never feel hungry! The perfect solution to needing to ‘eat’ while you are out all day!
Pack in advance. I don’t go anywhere without food. Ever. It takes a lot of time, but I’m not eating the crappy food that’s out there and I’m definitely not feeding it to the little bodies I’m caring for. I’m on a tight budget too – all the more reason to pack ahead.
not over-the-top at all!! I’ve learned to be become the bad guy when it comes to junk food, and i always explain to my kids why we don;t eat foods like that (fast food/processed food). We talk about it being bad for your body, doesn’t help you grow strong and healthy, etc…but they still want it all the same. I am only hoping all the lessons and modeling will sink in as they get older and they will make good food choices. I trying my darndest. The school system doesn’t help me much out either, in fact I feel sabotaged by it.
I am all for teaching kids to avoid fast food and I applaud your video. Truth be told though, I don’t really want to buy them cheap plastic made in China toys that will get thrown away in record time either. We skip the entire experience. So far, so good (at 7, 9, 12 and 16).
ps: you are adorable, as is your son. You both look great on camera!
That is true! Maybe then there will have to be a follow up lesson on why Made in China is bad too… 🙂 That might be a good lesson for “when they’re older.” Tots probably wont comprehend much about china.
I loved this post! I wish I was more concerned with health when my kids were younger, but in the past 3 years we have stopped fast food, prepare almost all of our food and when my kids would start to get a sore throat I have always taught them how to connect what they have been eating (and not eating…vegetables) and how they are feeling. It makes a remarkable difference in their life. My kids never ask for fast food! I think watching Food Inc, Food Matters, The Beautiful Truth and your blog have all been great Health class for my homeschool boys to truly get educated on what they want to do for their bodies and they actually “preach” it to others at the farmer’s market, stores, etc! Such a great lesson! Let’s hope this goes viral and make a dent in the chemical food industry sales! 🙂
What a great idea! Last week, I asked my 4 year old grandson about some packaged food and he declined saying it was “garbage food.”
Not cheesy… Very well done. It will be these types of examples that momma need. Thank you for being not only a food coach but a momma mentor.