Teach Kids About the “Junk” in “Junk Food”?

So we all hear the words “Junk Food” all the time. But imagine being a little kid, say 4 or 5 years old. Imagine hearing everyone talking about how your super delicious cookie is “Junk Food” or your amazing blue birthday cupcakes with pink sprinkles are….“Junk Food”. How sad and confusing!!? So in this lesson I want to teach you and your kids what “Junk Food” really is (and what it is NOT), so that THEY (and YOU) can do the deciding on what, when and how much to eat. Sound good?

The is the 2nd in a little 3-part series of lessons for you and your kids introducing:

• BIG FOOD & BIG AG (agriculture)
• JUNK FOOD, and
• FAST FOOD

All of these pre-lessons are designed to give your kids a big umbrella-style understanding of food and nutrition…which we will then use to learn to cook from scratch and know everything fun & interesting about the culinary world out there! I want this material to serve as a basis to get kids interested in what they are eating, armed with all the knowledge they need to make their best choices,  and how to prepare fresh, fun and exciting food for themselves, friends and family!!

After all…the famous JULIA CHILDS did say that food people are the best kinds of people (paraphrased)!!

I agree!

The reason I think this is so important is because if we think about it, little kids don’t know anything about how their body works or how food affects it in the short or long term. And even if they know a little, they usually don’t care…I mean did you care about obesity or diabetes when you were 8? The consequences of a continuously junkie diet are usually so far down the road that kids have a hard time thinking that way. I’m an adult and I still have a hard time thinking that way when faced with a hot, cheesy delicious pizza or a big chewy chocolate chip cookie!!

On that note, it is true that there seems to be a lot more focus on kids eating healthy now than there was back in my day. And that is a great trend, let’s keep it going!

But for now, I want you to know EXACTLY what “Junk Food” IS…and what it IS NOT, so you will never again be fooled into eating something without knowing what it is and how it is working in your body.

JUNK FOOD

Answer this…

• Do you think hamburgers are “Junk Food”?
• What about Pizza?
• Candy?

The answer might surprise you…

“Junk Food” simply means it:

1. has little or no nutritional value (lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, vitamins & minerals), and
2. has a lot of sugar, salt, fat, fillers, additives & preservatives.

Foods like BURGERS and PIZZA can actually be very healthy depending on how they are made and what is in them.

Processed Cheeseburger

Fresh-grilled Cheeseburger

A grilled burger made with fresh quality cuts of lean grass-fed beef, a whole-grain bun made without preservatives and unprocessed cheese like cheddar…can be very healthy. Add some lettuce and tomato and it can be a great choice.

BUT…on the other hand…a salt & preservative-filled frozen beef patty that comes from a GMO corn-fed industrial farm-raised cow, processed white-flour bun with preservatives and a slice of processed American cheese product…well that’s another story and that is “JUNK FOOD” for sure…meaning fewer vitamins & minerals and higher in salt and fat!

Now PIZZA…

Whether something is “JUNK FOOD” depends on what it is made with.

JUNK:

• Dough made from white flour and filled with preservatives
• Sauce with added sugar
• Processed (not fresh) cheese with additives and fillers

NOT JUNK:

• Fresh preservative-free dough
• Tomato sauce without a lot of added sugar or preservatives
• Fresh real cheese (not processed)

Since fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to help our bodies grow strong and give us the best energy, that type of “Whole Food” is the best. Since “JUNK FOOD” doesn’t have as many of the good things our bodies need, eating too much of it can make us feel tired, even make our stomachs hurt, give us headaches and it’s not good for our teeth either.

It’s okay to have junk food once in a while as a treat, but it’s important to eat lots of healthy foods most of the time to keep our bodies happy and strong. Whether something is “JUNK FOOD” or not is really a sliding scale, and the best thing to do is arm yourself and your kids with the knowledge about food, and then start to make the best choices you can with the resources you have.

In my opinion, treats are awesome and they have their place. But when you choose them, just know what you are choosing. That is the message I want kids to get….that they have the power over what goes in their bodies, for better or worse!!

So, let’s try to make healthy choices most of the time and save the junk food for special occasions! Sometimes, a special cupcake with sprinkles is just the thing, just not every day!!

OK to finish up, this video is really cute and for very young kids. My boys (9 & 12) still liked it even though they said it was apparently a little “cringey”! It makes the same points that I want kids to understand…JUNK FOOD might taste good, but it doesn’t have enough nutrients to help us grow healthy and strong. So balance out how much you eat with healthy food like fruits & veggies!

Click here to learn “What is Big Food?” which is this lesson’s big sister!!

Click here to download 4 FREE Fridge Posters to start learning what fruits & veggies are in-season all year long!!