Busy... cooking meals ahead (which is paying off, let me tell ya!) and with playgroup. Took Julia to story time at the library and met two other moms and their kids there and we hung out for a little while. Although one eye had to be on the kids, we at least got a little chit chat amongst ourselves in. Then I took Paul lunch from Chik-fil-a. Junk food I know, but I wasn't organized enough alst night to make him lunch AND get together for playgroup. At least Chick-fil-a has more side items to choose from. As it was, with the rain, I was running late.

When he gets up from nap, since I don't have to deal with making dinner, I want him to watch Julia so I get a walk in.

"Ok Ladies, now that we may know why we are fat, why is the rest of the country fat and what can we do about it? This question has been plaguing me lately."

Why? Lack of interest on the personal level, lack of nutrition education from home, lack of nutrition education from school, convinience food being convinient as far as time, but not as far as wholesomeness. The mentality that "more" is better. Lots of other things.

What can I do about it? On the one hand, I don't care about the rest of the country. I have to deal with myself and my family first. It's not my job to mommy the planet.

On the other hand, I try to shop wisely and have those shopping choices be a silent rebuke to the food makers. I don't want this much salt and/or sugar in my food, this much fat (esp. trans fat), artificial ingredients or colorings, preservatives, so much plastic in my packaging. I want more thorough nutrition labels, more organic foods, better quality. And I'm willing to pay for it. So make it widely available! And until then, I will shop at the places that do have it.

"Esp. children. How do we make sure are kids don't face the same struggles we face without become food nazis?"

Become something of a "food nazi." I don't see any other way around it. Any time you want a specific result, you have to put effort into it to get it. This effort will have to include defending against the things that will put you off track. And I feel a rant coming on... be forewarned! LOL.

You can't teach what you don't know yourself, so certainly I have to educate myself further about nutrition before I can give it to Julia.

I get aggressive about what I choose to buy and bring home. Then I can help shape her choices buy stocking the kitchen with wholesome foods. She has a choice, but it's limited in scope to what I buy.

I don't make her clean her plate. Children are born knowing when they are full. Preserve that and they'll keep it. Don't over serve children or over stuff them. It is unfair to ask children to "clean the plate" when they're not even the ones servings themselves! Most people don't even know what an appropriate portion is for their own selves, much less what is an appropriate serving size for a child.

Eat when hungry, not what time it is. Certainly pace your meals so you aren't going too long without food, but don't eat just because it is 11 o'clock.

Don't use food as rewards or encourage them to from emotional ties to food. Food is nice, but it is for fuel. Not emotional support. It is possible to celebrate without the focus being on what you eat. It is possible to cope with sadness or anger or boredom without eating your way through it. Don't urge them to eat one more bite just to please you. They need to learn to please themselves and stop when full. Not be encouraged to go beyond it.

Skip the kiddie foods -- the cereals with prizes and colored bits, the lunchbox fodder. Get them hooked on that and it is only something else they have to struggle to wean from later.

Eat sensibly yourself -- they will copycat.

Monitor the food toys. Makes me crazy that I have to search long and hard for just "basic" food toys and tools for a toddler but I can find Subway, McDonald's, KFC, and other junk food brand food toys everywhere I look:

I think food toys like these are better... Guidecraft "3D food" tray puzzles. Works as a puzzle AND as play food without insidious marketting:

And deal with the friends and realtives up front. Don't let it slide for sake of niceness.

The quickest way to piss me off is to give Julia food without my knowing, or challenge my food choices for her in front of her. She's 1 year old. We're still working our way down the allergenic foods methodically. She's barely got teeth and she's getting the hang of chewing.

So NO. I don't appreciate it when people go "But whhhhhyyy? Why can't she have ______?! It won't kill her! ___fill in other kid's name___ has it and they're fine!"

First, it's not up to them to feed my kid. And NOT having the proffered treat thing won't kill her EITHER!

Second, don't mess with my milk supply. She nurses first THEN solids when *I* say. You literally are taking the milk away from her if you are filling her up with junk, she gets full, then doesn't nurse as much to stimulate my supply, and then there's less milk for her later. What's the matter with you?

Third, I try new foods at home where I'm better prepared to deal with tummy aches and allergic reactions if she's going to have them. Not out and about on a whim. It's "cute" to you to see a baby eat and make a mess but it's NOT cute to be the one up late at night coping with gas, aches, pains, or rashes! Since I'm the one doing the night shift, I don't find it cute AT ALL.

Fourth, don't be teaching my kid to whine at me like that! Why put me on the spot? If I say "no" nicely the first time, don't insist. Because your bad manners from insisting puts me on the spot, and I'm forced to pick between protecting what and how my kid eats or bad manners back at you... hello, MomBitch!

Fifth... I don't care what OtherKid is eating or not. OtherKid is not my job.

So yeah... the kids and nutrition thing. Pet peeve. :)