Junk Food

Junk Food and Children

Unfortunately, with the high-speed nature of living today, many children have fallen prey to the junk food trend. Although it may seem strange, many parents are actually fairly unaware that their children are getting addicted to certain junk foods because they eat the foods themselves. Junk foods are convenient. They are simple and easy to grab when you are on the go and you need a snack or something quick to eat. Also, a good number of parents will actually use certain kinds of junk food to keep their children happy while traveling in the car.

These trends with junk food and children can have a pretty devastating outcome over time. If you do not take the time to teach your children the difference between good foods and junk foods at a young age, then you will have a much harder time breaking them of the habit once they grow up. For example, a toddler who has never had a sip of soda will never know what he or she is missing. That is, until you give them the first sip and they only begin to beg for more. As a parent, if you are always drinking sodas and sugary drinks in front of your child, they are eventually going to beg for it more and more as well.

One really wonderful outcome of this junk food problem is that many schools have begun addressing it will full force. A good number of schools have taken soda out of the vending machines and replaced them with natural fruit juices and bottled water. Also, school cafeteria programs have also been working much harder to serve meals that are very well-balanced, nutritional but great tasting as well so that children will enjoy eating at lunch time. However, the problem still lurks around every corner, which is why parents need to take a stronger role in teaching their children good nutrition.

With all of the junk food commercials today, it is no wonder why kids are longing for the foods that are bad for them. Many fast food places will use advertising that is actually geared toward children in hopes that the kids will drag their parents to their establishment on a regular basis. If you do decide to eat at fast food restaurants with your children, you should still point them in the direction of some of the healthier menu items such as grilled chicken sandwiches and even salads. While these items are still not as healthy and nutritional as something a parent could serve up at home, at least you are giving your child a healthy alternative to the other junk food items on the menu.