Input needed: Too many carbs?

This is an instance of my DH asking me for your feedback. He thinks the girls are eating too many carbs. This might be an extreme day, but yesterday this is pretty much what they ate. Tell me what you think:

Breakfast: Whole grain blueberry waffles (Eggo) with syrup, pineapple chunks.

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich, green beans, canteloupe.

Dinner: Breaded pork cutlets, egg noodles with butter, peas, applesauce.

He also thinks it's fatty. I give them what they want, and quite honestly I think some days if they could live on whole wheat toast that would suit them fine. This is close to average for them. They sometimes have an afternoon snack as well, but that's usually dried fruit and/or cheese, maybe crackers or pretzels or something.

What do you think? If they aren't overweight do I need to worry? Generally I try to give them a well-rounded selection, and they eat what they want.

What's your opinion or knowledge of this?

 

This is an instance of my DH asking me for your feedback. He thinks the girls are eating too many carbs. This might be an extreme day, but yesterday this is pretty much what they ate. Tell me what you think:

Breakfast: Whole grain blueberry waffles (Eggo) with syrup, pineapple chunks.

Lunch: Grilled cheese sandwich, green beans, canteloupe.

Dinner: Breaded pork cutlets, egg noodles with butter, peas, applesauce.

He also thinks it's fatty. I give them what they want, and quite honestly I think some days if they could live on whole wheat toast that would suit them fine. This is close to average for them. They sometimes have an afternoon snack as well, but that's usually dried fruit and/or cheese, maybe crackers or pretzels or something.

What do you think? If they aren't overweight do I need to worry? Generally I try to give them a well-rounded selection, and they eat what they want.

What's your opinion or knowledge of this?

 

I don't see anything wrong with what you are giving your children to eat. I think it sounds well rounded and they are getting enough fat (which is important for their brain development). I would tell your DH to let it go.

 

Breakfast sounds a little carby, but not really bad. Other than that, looks fine to me. I worry about my girls eating too many carbs. I swear, they could live off of crackers and Craisins. Doesn't seem like it's too much fat. They do need fat when they are young.

 

That looks like a great menu! Kids need carbs!!! Kids need fat!!! They are getting a good variety of fruit as well. I once had a similar discussion with my DH and suggested that if he thought he was a better menu planner to give it a try. I gave him a pad and pencil and asked him to plan meals (with things that the kids would actually eat) for the next week. Then I had him prepare it and feed them on the weeekend...needless to say, we don't have this type of converation anymore.

You are doing fantastic. I am sure if you found sample menus on-line they would be very similar.

Cheers
Tracy

 

It sounds about like our day. I try to give lots of fresh fruit and veggies, but they seem to like crackers and bread best.
sue

 

I've never thought there's any such thing as "too many carbs," as long as you're eating enough of other things (veggies, vitamins, calcium, protein) as well, and it sounds like they are. Carbs are energy. Everyone needs them, and kids especially need them (and they need fat too)!

DH is probably not going to like our advice, though.

 

I think it sounds similiar to our my girls diet. I think as long as they get some protien, their diet sounds pretty well rounded. Do they drink milk? Eat yogurt? Maybe you could offer that in the morning sometimes to lighten on the toast/waffles. HTH

 

Every time he complains about what I'm feeding them I tell him to give it a shot and see if he can feed them better. That's pretty much how the conversation went last night. And then he asked me to talk to all of you.

Laura, they sometimes eat yogurt, but don't seem to want it in the morning. Today they had corn flakes with milk. They also eat oatmeal semi-regularly. They've also been drinking their milk well lately -- about 15 ounces a day each. Much improved over they days when Melissa would drink about 3 or 4.

Thanks for all of your input and keep it coming.

 

Sounds pretty well rounded to me for toddlers and I would think that toddlers need a lot of carbs and fat. They have lots of energy and I'm sure they burn through the carbs quickly, also like PP mentioned fat is supposed to be good for brain development in children.

 

quote:
That looks like a great menu! Kids need carbs!!! Kids need fat!!! They are getting a good variety of fruit as well



I agree with all of the pps. You aren't feeding them junk. That's the bottom line. It sounds fine to me.

Angela

 

I try to make sure that mine are always getting a starch, a protein and a fruit and vegetable at each meal (no veg at breakfast). Our snacks are usually a dairy and a starch. I think your menu looks pretty well balanced really. Although I recently found out that peas are not considered a green vegetable, but rather a starch. I think at this age that unless they are overweight I wouldn't worry about the fat too much unless it's coming from sweets (which it doesn't appear to be!).

 

Hi, doesn't sound too different from some of my menus...

I'd like to bring something up that I've been learning about. Read your labels b/c if you believe Dr. Oz (from Oprah) even when it says whole grain on the package than might not be the first ingredient. (I've noticed this on bread, waffles, crackers and a few other things.) According to Dr. Oz anything "enriched" should be avoided.

But don't worry, at least your dh cares about what you all are eating, that seams rare!

 

Yours is similar to what mine eat and the wic people told me they weren't getting enough carbs.

 

I still feed my children the way I leraned on the super baby food diet. This is 4 serv of grains, two servings of legumes,egg or meat. 1 Green Veggie, 1 Vitamin A fruit or veggie, I Vitamin C fruit or veggie, and 2 other fruits and veggies. and 4 serving of dairy. I keep rack of this on a dry erase board.

If you look at your day u pretty much met my standards. It does seem u went above the 4 servings of grains but the book doesnt really offer info for this age I would think up to 6 is ok. But for me as long as they are getting all they need extras that are not eaten out of boredom is ok. I know my boys now seem hungry constantly in fact I have changed snack time to mini healthy meal time cause these boys can eat. Have u noticed an increase in appetite? Cause my boys shock me sometimes. I say keep it healthy and within your routine and u should be fine.

 

Mellisa I just noticed that u said peas are not a green veggie my super baby food book says they are. This is a huge source of green veggie here. Now I am wondering. Where did u hear this?

 

quote:
Mellisa I just noticed that u said peas are not a green veggie my super baby food book says they are. This is a huge source of green veggie here. Now I am wondering. Where did u hear this?


I always thought they were a green veg too, but a nutritionist at our twin mom group meeting recently told me that they are not.
HEREis a link to the government food pyramid. They are listed as a starchy veg along with potatoes and corn. Still a veg, just not as good as spinach or broccoli as far as green veggies go. HTH

 

Sounds great to me. You are serving fruits and vegetables with every meal (except breakfast but there really aren't a lot of breakfast vegetables ), protein at least twice a day, and it doesn't look like you are trying to overfeed them. The girls are gaining weight at a good pace and I'm not sure what you would cut out of their diet.

 

Looks like a pretty well rounded diet to me. They are getting veggies and fruit, protien and carbs. My guys could eat bread all day too but then somedays not. Looks like your doing a great job.