Does anyone else have kids or SOs who are yelling about all the sf foodstuffs and "where are the bagels?" Mine keep telling me there's nothing to eat in the house anymore -- translation: there are no potato chips, no pop tarts, no cookies....

Just about everything is being slowly converted to sf. It's great when the sf stuff isn't plastered all over the label, because they don't even notice. But sometimes when it's got a BIG Sugar Free typed on it, they complain again!! Does it ever end with the whining?

Maybe...when they're about 25-30 years old. Until then, buy some ear plugs.

No kids here, but I CAN say that our two german shepherds are thrilled with this new WOE. They are now getting a MUCH higher quality of food scraps.

Jeannie

You're SO can whine all he wants. If he wants junk food, then he can go out and get soem for himself, he's a big boy. For the kids, keep a plate of chopped veggies on hand, deviled eggs, bagged salad and other healthy snacks for yourself. When they whine there is nothing to eat, point out all the already prepared things they can have by quickly grabbing. If they still whine, ignore them, rememebr you are improving thier health too and that is one of yoru responsibilities as a parent. No matter what any kid claims, healthy eating won't kill them, and neither will sugar withdrawls. Since they aren't Lc'ign though you may want to keep a basket of fruit on the table they can grab from, 100% juice ice pops and so on which are slightly too high carb for you, but still healthy for them.

JeannieM, my dog, Claire, also loves this "diet" - she's getting better scraps, too! Her tail nearly wagged off her body when I gave her that NY strip bone last night!

Luckily, my 15 yo has been very supportive. He is beginning to read labels now too. LOL I call him the diet Nazi, because he is always watching me and gets on me if I cheat (which I rarely do anyway). I keep some of his favorite foods in the cupboard still, but I am not tempted at all.

My son is 9 and my daughter is 6 years old. They actually like alot of the low carb stuff I make. But I also keep some goodies on hand for them too. Not as much as before tho. They are both really cool with me eating this way. On occasion, if I make them spagetti and I'm eating sausage and eggs, My daughter will say, mom is spagetti on your diet? I tell her no, and she says, ok then don't let me see you sneaking any. lol Its really funny.

You are selfish, you shouldnt force your views upon others. Of course junk food isnt good for anyone, but you shouldnt restrict your kids diet.

When I first started I stripped my kitchen of all junky, carby, sugary food. In the first week my severly underweight son lost 5lbs. the pediatrician yelled at me and put him on weight gaining shakes !! since then I have added much better food selections but I now make whole wheat pasta and brown rice for him, overall we are healthier!

judi

Hi OP,

Our dogs are also EXTREMELY appreciative. They especially love that we are cooking more grilled fish -- to them, salmon skin is just about the best thing ever. They start to drool as soon as we fire up the grill.

Yeah, they're spoiled. So what??

Jeannie

Oh boy ...now aint that the pot calling the kettle black? Perhaps you should take a spoonful of that advice.

A. Don't call people names, if you have an opinion, you can do it without that.
B. I do believe she is THE mother and can do just exactly what she pleases with her own kids with the exception of abuse. And clearly, making a healthy diet change for your family is not abuse. I'd love to see the social worker that comes to my house and says "You have abused your child. He is whining because he wants a pudding cup, yet YOU have the nerve to serve him sugar free pudding!"

I am a parent and I make decisions that benefit myself as well as my children. So I will explain the trinkle down effect. I shop differently now. My kids are not on Atkins. However, since I'm not eating junk food anymore, I buy less of it and some s/f items as alternatives for them. Its not because if its in my cabniet I'll be tempted, but because I see more clearly how harmful it is.

i continue to keep these things in my house as my husband is a contractor and works outside all day and loves his chips, pepsi, candy. he works so hard he still weighs 147 and eats more than anyone i know. i also have a son that is just like him and at 10 only weighs 68 pounds so i dont feel i can keep them from their food. my mom just tells me she does the same with my dad she just tells herself she doesnt need it. my little girl loves the low carb stuff, and she also says to me, mom you cant eat this, and she always then says lets have salad together. awesome kid she is. i havent ever revealed that i have a sugar problem anyway that i eat sugar and go like into a whole different personality, makes me bing off walls and then i end up really sick, so my kids really watch what i eat. makes it easier when you live with the police.

I see. So I should let them eat all the ice cream, Pop Tarts, potato chips and pizza that they like? I should let them eat candy until it makes them throw up (and one of my daughters has acutally done this when I wasn't around to tell her to stop)? No? A responsible parent wouldn't do that?
Well, then I'm restricting their diet and for good reason. Most kids if given the choice between junk and healthy food will go for the junk every time. You see, they lack something that even a lot of adults haven't devloped yet...sound judgement, and adverstising (as the advertising companies know and take full advantage of) exerts a powerful influence over the choices that kids are likely to make when it comes to food choices.
I don't think anyone here is suggesting that we put all our kids on induction levels of low carb, but it certainly isn't doing them any harm to restrict the amounts and types of carby foods that they eat until such time as they develop sound judgement for themselves or become adults, whichever comes first. Foods like fruits, cheese, whole grains and keeping those with transfats out of the house. Doing your best to help your kids develop healthy eating habits is selfish? I think not. Selfish implies that you are doing something for your benefit and your benefit only without thought or consideration for the effect that it will have on others. Making an informed decision to limit the amount of junk in the diets of your children couldn't be farther from that definition.
As for forcing my views on others, that happens to be my job as a parent. Not so much forcing my views on my children, but teaching them what I believe is the best way to go, setting boundaries and then enforcing them. The alternative is to let them run wild and find their own way. My DH sees the results of that approach at work every day; it's called juvenile deliquency. When they're adults, then they can make decisions for themselves and hopefully they will be sound ones based on the guidance that they have received from their parents up until that point.
As for my kids, they can whine all they like. I'm not buying Pop Tarts. Besides...whining and badgering at my house earns my kids an immediate time out.

I agree, there's no need for name-calling, Skibunnie! <sheesh>

Anyway, I keep the treats my kids crave "in stock", but in smaller quantities than before, and minus the "danger" foods for me... there are certain treats that make me miserable calling my name from the pantry at night...lol. I've found they're really willing to compromise if they don't feel that they're being completely denied a few goodies.

The sneaky mom in me IS slowly making changes, though. They get whole grain baked goods, and I'm starting to sneak the sugarfree options in under the radar. I think the key with kids (and although I don't own one..men!) is GRADUAL change...

Just my 2 cents.

Well, I just made some French toast with lc sf bread drizzled with sf maple syrup. Not one child (I have 4) noticed the difference. So I think the sneaking in lc sf foods is working. They do still have cereals that I don't touch and regular pastas on occasion but I like that I can integrate their diet. And yes, I always have plenty of apples, oranges + o.j. for them that I don't have.

I think it's those darned commercials with the acid green and bright purple frosting on pop tarts or yoghurt with sprinkles that tempts them and then they realize we just don't have those things anymore. Of course their friends do, so my children think they are deprived.

Children make a career out of feeling deprived... If it's not Pop Tarts, it's something else!! My daughter just turned 18 and moved out for college, and it's amazing how for as little as I seemed to know BEFORE she moved out, I seem to get smarter every day now!