The top 10 foods nutrition experts won't feed their kids
In a very fun experiment, I asked twenty well-respected, experienced, pediatric nutrition experts what foods they refuse to provide to their own children. The children range from 18 months to 20 years old, and each list I received seemed better than the next.
The top 10 foods nutrition experts won’t feed their kids
Beth Wallace
Filed Under: Beth Wallace | Nutrition
By Beth Wallace
In my quest to make the world of pediatric nutrition less confusing for parents, sometimes the simplest information is left out. Sometimes it seems like all you hear is, “Try this!” or “cook it this way instead.” I know you get a LOT of information about what, when, and how you should feed your kids.
I also know that sometimes you just want to cut through all of the mumbo-jumbo and know what NOT to feed your family. I am certain that there are several things that you don’t give your kids because you think they are too unhealthy. So, in a very fun experiment, I asked twenty well-respected, experienced, pediatric nutrition experts what foods they refuse to provide to their own children. The children range from 18 months to 20 years old, and each list I received seemed better than the next. So without further adieu, I give you…
The top 10 foods experts won’t bring into their home:
- Sugar sweetened beverages- This was the overwhelming #1 item on everyone’s list and it includes soda, juice drinks, iced tea, lemonade, and powdered drink mixes. These beverages provide no nutrition benefit and are the #1 source of excess calories in adolescent diets. Drinks that were allowed: water (tap for filtered), flavored milk, seltzers, and 100% fruit juice.
- TV dinners and prepackaged lunches- Another selection on almost every list, these items were banned due to high sodium contents, high fat, and minimal nutrition value (vitamins, minerals, and whole grains).
- Packaged breakfast pastries- Whether you toasted them or ate them from the wrapper, these items ranked high due to large amounts of sugar and minimal fiber. Though it’s better than nothing in the morning, the experts preferred alternate convenience items like granola bars made with whole grain oats, fruits, and nuts.
- Sweetened and artificially colored cereals- One dietitian who wrote this on her list said, “if I gave my kids the options of rainbow colored cereals with marshmallows and sprinkles, or a brown whole-grain cereal, guess which one they’d pick every time? That’s why they don’t get the choice.” I couldn’t agree more. Another option: Make sugary cereals a dessert option only, and make sure it’s served in a small bowl.
- Canned pasta meals- Refined white flour pasta mixed with tomatoes, preservatives and canned meats? There’s not much good I can say about this. Consider making some extra servings of your own spaghetti and meatballs, mix in some vegetables, and freeze in single serving containers for easy reheating.
- Fruit cups in syrup- Fruit packed in syrup was an absolute no for the experts. These items were considered more acceptable as long as they were packaged in water or juice.
- Canned meats- These highly processed items were typically too high in fat and sodium for anyone to serve in their own home. An alternative deemed acceptable was canned fish packed in water.
- Chips (of all varieties)- Puffed, fried, or kettle cooked, these items all made the unacceptable list due to the empty calories and ease of overeating. I will admit that the group was realistic about the fact that this was an inevitable item to avoid at many parties.
- Hot dogs- The parents of younger kids were concerned with this item being a big-time choking hazard. Parents of older children had it on their list due to high fat and sodium contents. For both reasons combined, it stayed out of most homes.
- Packaged desserts- Store bought cookies, cupcakes, and other baked goods because they generally contained trans-fats and were loaded with sugar. The other option? Baking treats with your kids so that you know what ingredients are in the product, and to teach them some classic family recipes.
This was certainly not the complete list, but a great place to start. What do you avoid for your family?
Beth Wallace, a registered dietitian at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, has more than six years of experience in providing nutrition care for children and adolescents.
Comments (31)
Thank goodness French Fries and Onion Rings appear to OK!— N.Matthew- "Half of the foods on this list are recommended by our nutritionist to feed our child to get him eating." Whose the nutritionist? Ronald McDonald? Uh pixiechick - I'd STRONGLY recommend getting another nutritionist.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatusTheSecond
- Where does Horse meat all on this list? Is fresh better than canned?
Got Horse?— ricciaje - For all the naysayers, you'll be dead long before me. And I like eating healthy...it tastes great and I don't have to take medicine for heartburn, gas, cholesterol, triglycerides, irregular heart beat, diabetes, etc. You keep feasting on the sh*tty food and those medications...I'll take my veggies, fruit, and whole foods...with wine of course.— Keith S.
- Good lord, Bowers. Get a sense of humor and stop taking yourself so seriously.— roguefiftyone
- "Though it’s better than nothing in the morning, the experts preferred alternate convenience items like granola bars made with whole grain oats, fruits, and nuts." NO, actually it would be better for you to eat nothing. In fact, it would be better for you to eat the packaging of the oat concoction than the contents inside. By definition an oat cannot be whole grain. Its been processed. "Made with" is another thing entirely. "Yes, it was a whole grain, but then we kicked the ever living you know what out of it -- now its an oat." Either way it serves one purpose - its a sugar-delivery device. OF course the fancy brands call it "unrefined cane juice" or some such nonsense. Either way its designed to give an injection of sugar, to alter blood chemistry, to make little junior feel oh so good. Don't understand preference of juice over soda - both are again sugar delivery substances. Oh yay, juice has a smattering of nutrients but so what? There's no fiber, so it doesn't absorb well. Anyway - that's where we are: How as an industry can food companies deliver sugar to people most effectively.— Murrayman
- Ridiculous. You don't need to ban everything on that list.
Sweetened drinks, definitely. The pre-packaged stuff listed also won't be in my home. But hot dogs? C'mon. First off, a kid avoiding the rest of the stuff on the list can afford to eat a freakin' hot dog. Second, hot dogs aren't nearly as unhealthy as the dietitians claim, and you DO NOT want to exclude fat from your diet.— LDPhilly - I love how people here immediately get on their high horse like people don't try; sometimes people just like to make funny comments. Tmoody and Nutriwoman need to calm down or get some to calm their nerves. There's nothing wrong with giving a kid a treat now and then.
I have a child with severe food allergies - peanuts can kill her and Celiac disease is hereditary from my grandmother. It's tough that you have to teach her to understand that peanuts can kil her and try to explain why she can't have a cupcake at a birthday party.— roguefiftyone - roguefiftyone, that was REALLY funny! Thanks. I laughed out my pizza.— WantToKnow
- Might as well eat nothing. Just about everything is on that list. The part is missing that says kids should get exercise on a regular basis. Food is not the only reason kids and adults are fat. Try walking more instead of driving a few blocks.— The_Unknown-Poster
- Not being affordable is a cop out. Sugary cereals are easily $4 box and if you're feeding kids stuff out of a box it's pure laziness. Too bad for your kids. There is no reason a 7 yr old ever needs to drink soda. My son is 24 and rarely ever drinks soda because he didnt grow up drinking it. It is what you do now that will effect what they do later.— cindym507
- Parents who feed their kids junk do it because it is easy. Being a good parent is hard work and that includes making sure they eat right. And eating right doesn't have to cost a lot of money - that is a lame excuse. My kids still have friends who only eat like three foods and none of them are healthy. You're not doing your kids any favors by being weak - simply setting them up to be unhealthy adults.— lulu
- That list is nowhere near complete, what about high fructose corn syrup (or other sweetening syrups), what about artificial sweeteners, what about GMO's? The person who spoke about affordability is right, you need to make a lifestyle choice, if you don't eat processed food, you stop eating out, if you commit to your kids' long term health, it's nothing to cut out other less important lifestyle perks to maintain that commitment.— ND71
- Well AZMOM, as a healthcare educator, you should know that peanut butter is a major allergen, oats can be a problem for people with gluten sensitivity. yogurt - what about milk allergies? What about allergies acquired from the work place? Maybe you should educate yourself. And BTW, I worked very hard to feel my children healthy food, just as my parents did for me.— nacejan
- 9 times out of 10 I hear people say they cant afford it but they can get their hair and nails done regularly, go out for alcoholic beverages or eat out several times a week, buy the best hair and skin products or $100 shoes etc the list goes on...Your health is your greatest wealth...Pay now or pay leater with medicine and medical bills. Being a single mom with 2 kids organic fruits, veggies and preparing meals, maing it fun, colorful(naturally) with healthy foods to nourish my children is WELL worth it...— FreeDee11
- 9 times out of 10 I hear people say they cant afford it but they can get their hair and nails done regularly, go out for alcoholic beverages or eat out several times a week, buy the best hair and skin products or $100 shoes etc the list goes on...Your health is your greatest wealth...Pay now or pay leater with medicine and medical bills. Being a single mom with 2 kids organic fruits, veggies and preparing meals, maing it fun, colorful(naturally) with healthy foods to nourish my children is WELL worth it...— FreeDee11
- 9 times out of 10 I hear people say they cant afford it but they can get their hair and nails done regularly, go out for alcoholic beverages or eat out several times a week, buy the best hair and skin products or $100 shoes etc the list goes on...Your health is your greatest wealth...Pay now or pay leater with medicine and medical bills. Being a single mom with 2 kids organic fruits, veggies and preparing meals, maing it fun, colorful(naturally) with healthy foods to nourish my children is WELL worth it...— FreeDee11
- Great post - shows very well that the consensus of experts can match common sense. I would add "any product with artificial food coloring/food dyes". Manufacturers are allowed NOT to list the milligrams of AFCs (artificial food colorings) contained in food products under trade secrets/proprietary info rules. Since AFCs are in almost any type of drink, snack, baked good and candy, food dyes can add up quickly in a kid's system...especially at parties, during consecutive days of treats over the holidays, etc. Build it up to 150 - 180 mgs of Red 40, etc, and see what happens. Add to that some re-uptake in the colon of yesterdays AFCs combined with today's ingestion - look for some crazy child behavior "for no reason". That would be high on my list of things not to bring into our home.— danieloconnor
- #4 is my weak spot, but our kids never get an option. None of the others, except very very infrequently #6 ever make it into our home, and we are not nutrition experts, just using common sense. And our 2 year old loves the food we give her, her favorite food is green beans, go figure...— nosilver4u
- Not trying to top you here, nosilver4u, but our 7-year old Grandson's favorite veggie is Broccoli... He even grew his own this past Spring, and will double the last harvest with next spring's crop... It isn't that hard to do...
- Maybe next you can ask 20 well respected nutrition experts for affordable alternatives for families on a budget. Or perhaps healthier alternatives for children with sensory, feeding, and weight gain issues for a healthier way to make similar flavored items at home. Half of the foods on this list are recommended by our nutritionist to feed our child to get him eating.— pixiechick
- As a Healthcare Educator to Adults with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Problems I can only agree. Whatever happened to yoghurt with fresh fruit in season, minute oats or old fashioned oats ( takes 2 minutes)with fruit; whole wheat toast with peanut butter ( with banana! too);salads with minimal home made dressing ( very simple to make); fresh or frozen cooked vegetables; protein the size of your palm; etc. I teach the USDA Plate Method of eating.It is simple and healthy. Yes you have to plan in advance; but once your fridge is stocked with the basics, it is easy.— AZMOM
- Actually, Tatt2, this list oisn't even complete... Fact is, it isn't that hard to make the case that feeding this stuff to children is tantamount to child abuse... There will come a time when allowing children to eat this crapola could get a person arrested... And, Rightfully So... God Bless...
- "So without further adieu, I give you…"
So without further ADO, I give you…
It's "ado", as in Much Ado About Nothing.— Tatt2 - That list reads like my personal menu. Today I had 1 and 2 for lunch, 3 and 4 for breakfast. I can't decide on 7 or 9 for dinner along with 8 and 10, oh and more 1. I'll splurge with 5 and 6 this weekend with more 1. I know this is a list of what not to feed you kids but if it were allowed where would beer be on this list?— towman
- What is a childhood without potato chips, hotdogs, and colored cereal? They will be miserable adults soon enough.— DwightinDC
- You may be a miserable adult because you did eat those things.
— tmoody - You should have called this column "Top Ten Reasons Food Experts' Kids Will Hate Their Parents"— roguefiftyone
- Ok, your kids may love you now but when they're fat adults with health problems they'll hate you and so will everyone else that has to pay high premiums so your fat kids can get the medical help they should have never needed in the first place. — bowersNRAnut
- My child loves me. Tells me everyday and is very energetic and happy. Are you just defensive because you don't want to put forth any effort? — Nutriwoman
- That's only temporary. The appreciation for a healthier adulthood and lower medical bills will far outweigh the short-term disappointment. — tmoody
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Crozer-Keystone Health System
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Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Jefferson Medical Colg
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Registered dietitian, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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