How do you eat clean 100% with kids?!!!

[ubermumma]

Hello all, I've been lurking for a few months on a daily basis! Only started weight training in September last year....was always more of a cardio/dancing gal prior. I'm 42 years old, 5'7'' tall, 61kgs and body fat is 28%. I've never said it out loud, but my trainer and I whispered that maybe a figure comp in Oct might be worth setting as a goal.

I have just had all my measurements taken and am really disappointed with the results. I know my downfall lies in diet...summer holidays in Australia, Christmas, New Years blah blah blah. I've got two really slim active kids that don't eat rubbish all the time, but obviously we have lots of kid friendly food in the house....bread, jam, crackers, fruit yogurts, cereals etc. Does anyone have any tips for avoiding the temptations of eating your kid's jam sandwich crusts or their leftovers when the thought of another can of tuna makes you feel ill!!!

Also, i've got this whole low gi carbs thing going on and have only been having protein post workout, but I think i'm supposed to have some carbs with it to transport all those goodies more efficiently. With my trainer's guidance I have been lifting heavier and heavier but have lost 5mm from my bicep - agghhh!

PS : by trainer I mean my PT at the local gym who I see once a week, I love the workouts, but he is very young and inexperienced and I need some chic specific advice!!

Thanks all, in advance

[AmyJ]

My advice is to give your kids the same foods that you want to eat. I know that won't always work, but they should learn the right way to eat as well.

If you can't make it so you only have healthy foods in the house, than set your foods apart, and only have their foods as a planned cheat.

Post up your normal diet, without cheats for workout and non-workout days and we should at least be able to help you with a base diet.

[Leigh P.]

I deal with a ton of housewives and working mothers. This is actually a very common problems. You should want to set up good habits for the kids, but they are also kids! Best thing to do is to give them obvious healthy food and sneaky healthy food. Always keep the bad food out of the house though, make it better understood that it is occasional behavior, plus it gives you something to go out and do like Putt-putt golfing with with ice cream, go ice skating and they get hot dogs or fries, movies they get some choc and popcorn, because it is rare and a treat. The rest of the time their snacks are healthy ones and their meals are healthy ones. That doesn't have to mean can tuna and salads.

I give tons of recipes that the moms can make with their kids like healthy sugar cookies, pizza, pancakes with chocalate. This is what I mean by sneaky healthy. They just know it is called a cookie, they don't care what is in it, but you should.

Here are just a few tried and true recipes that families love...

Healthy Sugar Cookies (serves 60-70)
INGREDIENTS
· 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 3/4 cup Smart Balance Light Butter
· 1 cup Splenda/Sugar mix (half sugar/half splenda)
· 1 egg
· 1/4 cup lite sour cream
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt. Cream butter with sugar, beat in egg, then stir in sour cream and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture 1/3 at a time.
2. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill.
Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies with your favorite cookie cutters. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes.
When done sprinkle with a splenda/cinnamon mix.

Raisin Sour Cream Bars (serves 24)
INGREDIENTS
· 2 cups raisins
· 1 cup splenda
· 3 eggs
· 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
· 1 1/2 cups light sour cream
· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1 cup packed brown sugar
· 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
· 1 teaspoon baking soda
· 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 1 cup smart balance butter light, softened
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. Cook first six ingredients over low heat until well blended. Set aside to cool.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, oatmeal, baking soda, butter, flour and salt until crumbly. Press half of mixture into pan.
4. Pour cooked mixture over crust and crumble the other half of crust over the top.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.

Fantastic Turkey Bean Chili (serves 6)


INGREDIENTS
· 1 onion, diced
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 pound ground turkey
· 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
· 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
· 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
· 1 tablespoon dried oregano
· 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
· 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Introduce turkey and cook, stirring, until meat is brown. Stir in beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano, basil and vinegar. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 60 minutes or more, until flavors are well blended.

No Cheese Pizza
Yes it gets its own section, it is that good!

Items needed (little involved but worth it)
Note that you can substitute/add veggies for other veggies, just make sure low calorie or same calories as the ones you are trading out to keep the stats close.

BOBOLI 100% Whole Wheat crust (it must be this brand, most stores have it, in fact I have yet to not find it, but its always in a side section or hanging somewhere random. So ask a store clerk to help you find it if having trouble.)
4 ounces of 96% lean hamburger
12 slices of turkey pepperoni
Half of small onion in long slices
1 cup of sliced mushrooms

Pizza Sauce
This is very important to the taste, make it as written and then if needed add for your desired taste. This is a restaurant style sauce though and what gives it that eating out flavor.

1 can of Hunt's Tomato Puree
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon splenda
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

In small pot, mix items together and let it come to a light simmer, stir and set aside. Sauce should make 3 pizzas so save what you don't need for later.

Putting together the pizza.
-Pre-Heat the oven to 425F
-With a large spoon spread pizza sauce on the inside of the pizza allowing some room on the edges. Remember that sauce makes three servings so be generous but don't over do it.
-Start adding in a circular form the onion, then mushrooms, then pepperoni, then hamburger.
-Slide in on middle rack and bake for 10-12 mins
-right before you take it out turn on broil and let the top go for NO MORE THAN 1 min. It can burn on you in an instant if not careful, if nervous just ignore this step.

The Best Meatloaf (serves 6)
INGREDIENTS
· 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 96%-97%
· 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
· 1 egg
· 1 dash ground black pepper
· 1 cup soft wheat bread crumbs
· 1/2 cup skim milk
· 1/3 cup steak sauce, (e.g. Heinz 57)
· 1 onion, chopped
· 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
DIRECTIONS
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, salt, egg, black pepper and bread crumbs. Pour in the milk, 3 tablespoons of the steak sauce, onion and green bell pepper.
4. Place the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and shape into a loaf. Brush the top with the remaining steak sauce.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until done. Allow to stand 5 minutes before slicing.

[TurbulentFluid]

Actually... I have an idea.
I was a fat kid and had 65 kg at the age of 14. I hit 70 kg at 16, left high school at 75 kg.
My cousin, who's now 14, is already on 72 kg.

Why am I saying this? By feeding your kids stuff that you claim not to be good for YOU, who are you doing a favour, exactly? Are your kids not good enough to be taught to eat clean, proper meals? Why would you feed your kids something you wouldn't eat yourself?
I'm not saying "put them on a competition diet", hell no, but if your kids are eating something YOU don't wanna eat, your grasp on their diet isn't what it should be!

[ubermumma]

Thanks for the replies, and especially the time taken to post the recipes. Amy J my schedule has just recently changed and at the moment it looks pretty much like this (without cheats!!):

Monday pm : Teach pilates then 1 hour PT full body work out
Tuesday am : Cardio Dance class 60 mins
Wednesday
am: Fasted Cardio HIIT (20 min treadmill)
pm : Teach Bar Class then participate in 45 min spin class
Thursday am: Teach pilates
Friday pm: Teach kick box class, followed by teach pilates
Saturday REST
Sunday am : 45 min cycle

Most days my intake is something like:

8.00am Plain muesli, skim milk
10.30am Fruit, low fat yogurt
Lunch : Tuna & Salad sandwich on wholemeal
3.00: Almonds/Fruit/Vegies/Tuna - how much depends if I am teaching that night
Dinner: Nights I am home: lean grilled or steamed protein and salad or steamed vegies - NO simple carbs
After teaching, protein shake and sometimes bowl of muesli

Most weeks I put in 10 hours combined teaching, cardio and weights. I need to get more weights in without a doubt, and am looking at cutting some cardio on Friday to be able to put in a good session that morning.

The cheating I do is not too evil - the kid's crusts, leftover pasta, cous cous, rice etc. on the way to the bin, handful of dry cereal if tummy is rumbling. We only drink milk or water, they are always offered fresh fruit before any other snack, I pretty much cook everything from scratch except for canned lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans.

I know I am light years away from a competition diet and training schedule, but it could all be a lot worse too. Any suggestions on what to tweak would be wonderful!!! To have only lost 4.5kg and 4% body fat in 5 months is very disappointing....feel like I have achieved nothing, neither gained muscle nor lost fat and like they say, if you keep giving the same thing you'll keep getting the same thing..so something has gotta change!!

[ChocoChick]

I think something may be getting lost here. Fact is, people can eat healthyfully without necessarily being on a bodybuilder's diet. My kids eat very well but they nonetheless eat things that I don't and at times that I don't -- they might have a yogurt (organic, but with sugar rather than Splenda) for an evening treat or cookies similar to the recipe Leigh posted. While I wouldn't eat those things, this doesn't mean they shouldn't... nor that people who are not interested in adhering to a strict bb diet are harming themselves if they do. It comes down to what your goals are.

[TurbulentFluid]

Bump, dbflgrl. I myself will have biologically active yogurts (low-fat, 36 kcal/100g) in order to keep my stomach flora happy and well developed, and as I'm not competing, it's a good healthy treat for "normal" people whose goals are to be healthy and have a good physique.

But I am at a loss to why do parents think kids should have treats like Mars and Twix bars when there are muesli and protein bars, that they should eat popcorn and chips when there's fruit and low-fat cheese sticks, that they should have ice cream and cereal when there's yogurts and muesli... the bottom line, for every high - calorie, low-nutrition-value snack, there's a healthy, low - calorie replacement treat that tastes even better. It's a much better solution to remove junk from their nutrition

[ChocoChick]

^^ Agreed. Although I think air-popped popcorn is ok.

[MauiZos]

Originally Posted by ubermumma

but obviously we have lots of kid friendly food in the house....bread, jam, crackers, fruit yogurts, cereals etc.

I don't have kids, so maybe I'm in no position to comment, but I just cannot wrap my head around how people consider foods LOADED with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sodium, preservatives, trans fats, etc to be "kid friendly". Why on earth would you feed things to a child that you wouldn't feed yourself or even a dog?

Intensive cutting diets aside, kids should eat the same as we do - lean protein, complex carbs, fruits, veggies, good fats. If you raise kids with a taste for healthy food you will be doing them a favor for their whole lives. Few things make me more upset than when I see parents raising kids on processed garbage, french fries, cakes, cookies, and candies and teaching them that food=love.

Ubermamma... I'm in no way saying this is YOU. I'm just saying, it makes me upset to see other less diligent parents being so irresponsible with their children. As for dealing with the temptation of those foods around you, it's no different than dealing with the temptations that you face outside the house too. You stare down that bagel/kit kat/cookie/bag of doritos and say "no!".

[TurbulentFluid]

Well... even if I'm the first person to call humans "carnivorous" (I LOVE meat! ), dogs need a VERY different diet from humans as they have a 100% carnivorous digestion system, so it's natural to feed people what you wouldn't feed to a dogo...

[windsrprk]

When I was a kid, we didn't get junk food. Sandwiches were made with whole wheat bread, we drank 1% milk, ate apples for snacks, and were forbidden from having any type of soda unless we were sick (carbonation settled the stomach). Once a week we could go out to eat and if we wanted dessert we were allowed to have it as a treat. Fast forward to adult life and I wasn't so disciplined with my eating for many years. Funny how I reverted back to the habits my mom originated in my life. We really do learn best from our parents! While I have no plans to become a parent I can see how important it is to set the right example.

[MauiZos]

Originally Posted by TurbulentFluid

Well... even if I'm the first person to call humans "carnivorous" (I LOVE meat! ), dogs need a VERY different diet from humans as they have a 100% carnivorous digestion system, so it's natural to feed people what you wouldn't feed to a dogo...

Ok fair enough... but it's funny how people are far more concerned with having overweight pets than with having overweight children. We seem to understand that being overweight can be tough on a dog's joints, heart, and will potentially shorten its life. Owners will rush to buy special Iams weight control formula and ensure that the DOG gets an adequate amount of exercise everyday. How come we (people in general) can't seem to extend the same dedication or discipline to ourselves or our children???

I just think there's a major disconnect in our society about that.

[SeaSiren]

I rare to never have processed food in the house. My girls choose their snacks from the grocery store produce section (which is huge) and turn down most processed foods. They are very educated on food choices and choose a huge variety of fruits and veggies. They love in season fruits and they have a recipe book based on yummy healthy snacks for kids. This week they wanted cantaloupe, strawberries and oranges and I always have a huge fruit bowl(s) with a variety to choose form. It's pleasing to the eye and even the neighbor children raid it.

They eat the same dinner as I do. Their breakfast, lunch and snacks are their choice.

[TurbulentFluid]

Originally Posted by MauiZos

Ok fair enough... but it's funny how people are far more concerned with having overweight pets than with having overweight children. We seem to understand that being overweight can be tough on a dog's joints, heart, and will potentially shorten its life. Owners will rush to buy special Iams weight control formula and ensure that the DOG gets an adequate amount of exercise everyday. How come we (people in general) can't seem to extend the same dedication or discipline to ourselves or our children???

I just think there's a major disconnect in our society about that.

Actually I was joking, but now that you elaborate, I hear ya - and I was one of those people too! While my German shepard was always in top shape, I was a complete mess! Same with kids - I don't have any and don't plan to, but my uncle's labrador was tip top, and so's my current husky, but my cousins are BOTH overweight! I'm really worried about them (the older is 14 yo / 72 kg) and they're not doing much about it... I think SeaSiren's approach is THE BEST. I was a fat kid, I was 14 yo / 66 kg, 17 yo / 74 kg, 22 yo / 85 kg, and the only reason why I HAD that problem, was that no one TAUGHT me WHAT were good foods, and WHY were some foods bad for me. Parents are the ONLY ONE responsible for their kid's health, and they should fully assume that responsibility.

[teenyGreen]

That's a good point. I had to adjust. There were a few times I started taking a bite of food I made for the kids, and I just had to spit it out. I put of sticky notes to remind myself that I was dieting. Now it's a lot easier. My kids eat when I do too. They eat six times a day. They love fruit. They even like "sticks". It's Allbran cereal. I'd say half of there food is like Mommy's, clean. The other half is not all junk food, but my Mil calls it "real" food. Good luck

[GrayedRainbow]

Originally Posted by ubermumma

I've got two really slim active kids that don't eat rubbish all the time, but obviously we have lots of kid friendly food in the house....bread, jam, crackers, fruit yogurts, cereals etc. Does anyone have any tips for avoiding the temptations of eating your kid's jam sandwich crusts or their leftovers when the thought of another can of tuna makes you feel ill!!!

Hi Ubermumma!!

I actually do have a few tricks up my sleeve for just this situation.

1- If one or more of your kids is old enough, make it his/her standing job to clean off the table after every meal. If not, try to enlist your husband when he is home. Make sure everyone knows that they should either wrap leftovers and put them away or trash them immediately. When the meal is over, just walk away. Not only will they feel good about helping you reach your goal, you will get a little break!

2- Cook "kid friendly" foods in advance, when NOT hungry, and keep them in the refridgerator so you can microwave them. For instance, my kids love pasta for lunch, but I am not allowed pasta of any kind (pre-diabetic). My boys are supposed to be GAINING weight, and have to eat very different than I, including lots of potatoes. I cook these things once or twice a week, so there is always something on hand that I can couple with fresh or fozen veggies for a really fast lunch. The less time it takes to prepare theirs, the more likely I am to spend the time on MY meals.

3- Eat when they eat, and make sure you get enough of the good stuff. If you are starving while they are eating you are more likely to crave what is on their plates.


GOOD LUCK! I struggle with these same things every day, and have determined what I really need is a full time cook at my house. Never going to happen, I know

I would also love to hear any of your ideas!!

[ubermumma]

LOL Teenygreen! I may possibly have been spitting out a cookie as you wrote that! We were having a doll tea party and I didn't want to be impolite! I suppose I knew the answer when I asked the question...walk away from the food!!!

Was really bummed earlier in the week and full of PMT but feeling much stronger now! I realise I probably haven't achieved anything because I haven't been focussed enough to even know if I was trying to bulk or lose body fat. Will iron this out with Trainer when he is back on Tuesday.

It's a bit tricky when the top of my body is lean and starting to look quite defined but the bottom half is carrying too much fat....do I need to build those muscles first which will help me burn more fat, or lose the fat (and possibly anything I have built on my upper body) and then bulk again...I don't know but hopefully he will!

Have a great day everyone...I am!

[ubermumma]

Greyed Rainbow we must have been posting at the same time......my son is skinny too and needs to be putting more on, so similar issues in this house. You know you are so right about not letting yourself get hungry, that was my big problem...the ol' "busy busy super mum, must get everything done for everyone else first!!". Just these last 2 days I have been making myself eat lots more protein and keeping a shake ready-made in the fridge to combat those "oops gotta pick up kids and get one to ballet, one to swimming can't eat for hours times!! It all seems a lot easier too, now that I am not fully immersed in crazy hormone racing PMT!!

I have also been making double, or triple servings of any of my meals which really helps. Life is easy when everyone is having grilled chicken and salad, but on the pasta or risotto nights you gotta be prepared!

[TurbulentFluid]

Why not up the weight of your kids by giving them healthy, clean foods - in sufficient amounts?

[GrayedRainbow]

Originally Posted by TurbulentFluid

Why not up the weight of your kids by giving them healthy, clean foods - in sufficient amounts?

According to their gastrointerologist, potatoes and pasta ARE healthy foods, and his preference. I still can't eat them.