I have a new set of lunchbox recipes planned to post today, but this morning I have something I want to open a discussion on. Come and join in on facebook or comment below.
This morning I want to talk about treats, the treats we give ourselves and the treats we give our kids.
In recent months I have begun to take issue with the way some foods are elevated to treat status both in our own minds and in the minds of our children.
For me a treat food is something really delicious, just like the definition says, a special delight or pleasure, in much the same way as having a massage or going to the movies might be a treat. A treat is something we really enjoy.
Probably the best treat meal I have ever made according to S
Why is it then, that we often describe certain foods as 'just as a treat' when we give them to our kids? By describing foods, that in the case of our children are often ones loaded with sugar, we are elevating the kinds of foods that we don't necessarily want to feed them to the status of something special.
I never describe food as naughty and try as much as possible to stick with good/not good for your body.
One of my absolute goals where all this healthy lifestyle business is concerned is to educate myself so I can educate my kids. I don't want my children to ever suffer a negative body image. I want them to have the tools to be healthy inside and out.
By giving them the mindset that sugary, processed and fast foods are treats then I am guilty of elevating them to something that is delicious, when in reality it isn't.
Last night I had a chat with the three older kids, independently of one another, about what their favourite foods are and what they consider to be a treat for them.
They all said the kinds of typical 'treat foods' you might expect but when we added their favourite foods to the discussion they consistently rated their favourite meals more highly than the supposed treats. When we broke it down even further they said that nutritious snacks, like fruit, tasted better and made them feel better than those 'treat foods'.
As a food lover I have always encouraged my kids to eat well. I have the benefit of having a high level of interest in food and have spent many many hours over the years learning about it. I am very comfortable in the kitchen and love producing food that I, and others, take delight in eating. I am lucky because of those things.
My food knowledge is something I want to share with you and I will be endeavouring to teach those of you who are less comfortable in the kitchen. However, I digress.
For our family a treat is smoked salmon with eggs for breakfast, an amazing shared meal at a restaurant, homemade pizza, slow cooked pork ribs with homemade baked beans or mangoes eaten over the sink with juice running down our arms. They are still talking about this meal from the other night.
For S it is burritos, for L it is oven baked schnitzel with steamed veg and mashed potatoes (it has been since she was 2), for J it is spaghetti and my meatballs and for C it is a poached egg on toast for breakfast.
No longer are fast food, lollies or doughnuts described by Steven and I as a treat unless they can truly be described as special delights and pleasures...but to my mind you can't describe something that often makes you feel a bit sick afterward that way.
What do you think? What makes something a treat in your book?
Tatum xx
