Is Fruit the New Soda?

[Pestle]

When I was growing up in the '80s, I rarely drank anything but soda, and nobody gave it a second thought. My parents taught me good oral hygiene, so I ended up with crowns on my baby teeth but no other long-term damage. I used to see kids at the playground with rotten teeth--it was pretty gruesome.

Now, I've had a few kids come through my day care who eat nothing but fruit. Their parents are proud of how "healthy" this is, and they're giving whole fruit instead of juice, but I think all fruit all the time is just their kids' way of taking in sugar constantly instead of the balance of healthy fats and protein and minerals and vitamins they can't get from fruit. (I broke a tooth a couple of years ago and it turns out all the women in my family have low calcium--heckuva way to find out!)

The outcome of a diet that's too heavy in fruit? It's an outcome indeed. These kids poop over, and over, and over, all day--smelly, tacky poop.

Does anybody else think this is a parenting trend, or am I reading too much into a few people's habits?

[Blackcat31]

When I was growing up in the '80s, I rarely drank anything but soda, and nobody gave it a second thought. My parents taught me good oral hygiene, so I ended up with crowns on my baby teeth but no other long-term damage. I used to see kids at the playground with rotten teeth--it was pretty gruesome.

Now, I've had a few kids come through my day care who eat nothing but fruit. Their parents are proud of how "healthy" this is, and they're giving whole fruit instead of juice, but I think all fruit all the time is just their kids' way of taking in sugar constantly instead of the balance of healthy fats and protein and minerals and vitamins they can't get from fruit. (I broke a tooth a couple of years ago and it turns out all the women in my family have low calcium--heckuva way to find out!)

The outcome of a diet that's too heavy in fruit? It's an outcome indeed. These kids poop over, and over, and over, all day--smelly, tacky poop.

Does anybody else think this is a parenting trend, or am I reading too much into a few people's habits?

Nope, I totally agree.

Parents see it as a healthy option but like anything too much of it and it is not longer a positive.

That is the very reason I don't serve fruit often. (I know the kids get alot of it at home). I serve two veggies instead.

Actually we serve probably 4 or more veggies for lunch but at least 2 for sure and to meet food program requirements.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

When I was growing up in the '80s, I rarely drank anything but soda, and nobody gave it a second thought. My parents taught me good oral hygiene, so I ended up with crowns on my baby teeth but no other long-term damage. I used to see kids at the playground with rotten teeth--it was pretty gruesome.

Now, I've had a few kids come through my day care who eat nothing but fruit. Their parents are proud of how "healthy" this is, and they're giving whole fruit instead of juice, but I think all fruit all the time is just their kids' way of taking in sugar constantly instead of the balance of healthy fats and protein and minerals and vitamins they can't get from fruit. (I broke a tooth a couple of years ago and it turns out all the women in my family have low calcium--heckuva way to find out!)

The outcome of a diet that's too heavy in fruit? It's an outcome indeed. These kids poop over, and over, and over, all day--smelly, tacky poop.

Does anybody else think this is a parenting trend, or am I reading too much into a few people's habits?

No, it is definitely a trend. Whole, organic foods are the newest thing, but since kids are picky, fruits are the easiest to get them to eat. Whenever a family says they only eat organic, whole foods, I expect that a large part of the children's diet is fruit based. It should be vegetable based (greens), with protein and fat, but again, kids like fruit, so to the parent, it is an achievement, because at least they are not eating candy and chips.

[Cat Herder]

The new food rules are making a dent in parent education but causing some initial confusion. The take home pictographs of how much sugar is in each fruit helps some parents to clue in.

You can have the kids make their own graphs by coloring different fruits, candies and soft drinks then gluing glitter or colored sand to represent the grams of sugar in each serving. I used real sugar once, it went over badly.

[daycarediva]

YES! When I was growing up in the 80's it was soda, and kool aid so thick it was like ketchup. EVERYONE drank it. BUT, we didn't see a ton of overweight kids. Everyone was still outside playing and burning it off. Wonder bread. Whole milk. Sugar popscicles. PB&J's were daily staples.

I honestly didn't know most fruit/vegetables came out of a can until I was in school. My mom was the queen of hamburger helper. Sometimes without the hamburger. Just looking at a box makes me gag now.

I have had to say two servings a day is enough fruit to the kids. I don't even offer seconds of fruit. Eg. if I serve a fruit at breakfast, and again at snack- they have met their fruit requirement already.

My issue is JUICE. I have sooo many juice junkies right now!

[Pestle]

I used real sugar once, it went over badly.

"What did we do today, Mama? Oh, we ate paper."

[midaycare]

Yes! I see this all the time. I'm like BC and feed veggies instead of fruit. I love veggies, so it's not a big deal to me I've learned how to hide them in literally everything. I also never tell the kiddos what they are eating. Anytime they ask, "Ms Midaycare, what is this?" I answer, "What do you think it is?" Lol...I'm not playing the, "I don't like brussel sprouts!" game.

[hwichlaz]

I give fruit with breakfast...because I can't stomach veggies with breakfast. My own hang up, But they get two veggies at lunch and they get a veggie as part of their snack.

[HappyEverAfter]

I do fruit at breakfast and if for some reason we skip it at breakfast, I'll do it at lunch along with the normal veggies we would eat. We do juice at breakfast but that's all the juice they get for the day. After that it's one cup of milk and then all the water they want. More than fruit being the new soda, I see parents overdoing milk. I have one dck (1yr old) who would drink whole milk all day long if I let her. When she started with me, she'd been getting five or more 9oz bottles of whole milk a day, in addition to 3 full meals and 2 snacks. Her old daycare person used to let her just walk around drinking a bottle all day and would refill it as needed. Now she gets 6oz in a sippy cup (we don't do bottles here anymore) and she definitely isn't allowed to walk around with it. They're still giving her two 9oz bottles at home but she certainly isn't getting that much from me!

[Mom2Two]

I would be careful not to give a negative message about fruit, more a message of "out of balance." We need all the food groups in a proper amount, but fruit is just part of one food group.

After water, vegies are the lowest calorie food we eat.

I'm trying to switch to four vegies at lunch too. I'll keep the fruit option for when I'm having a rough day and want to go with my plan B for lunch.

[Blackcat31]

I would be careful not to give a negative message about fruit, more a message of "out of balance." We need all the food groups in a proper amount, but fruit is just part of one food group.

After water, vegies are the lowest calorie food we eat.

I'm trying to switch to four vegies at lunch too. I'll keep the fruit option for when I'm having a rough day and want to go with my plan B for lunch.

Personally I think we could live with out fruit.

My own son doesn't like a single fruit. Not one.
(yes, I thought he was just being stubborn when he was little...like who seriously doesn't eat bananas?!)

He's still healthy though.... all the way through childhood.

I myself, don't really eat fruit.
I like it, I just don't eat it.

[Mom2Two]

Personally I think we could live with out fruit.

ITA I was thinking of what to say to the parents, like, "Remember, dcm, we need all the food groups in the right balance, and fruit is just part of one food group."

[Country Kids]

How is everyone serving two veggies at lunch? Our new food recuirment is a fruit and a veggie. We can no longer serve two of the same component.

[Blackcat31]

How is everyone serving two veggies at lunch? Our new food recuirment is a fruit and a veggie. We can no longer serve two of the same component.

No, the new requirements state you CAN serve 2 veggies instead of a fruit at lunch.

Here is the rule:

https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cacfp/CACFP_childmealpattern.pdf

Scroll down to bottom of page 2. #7 (explanation is in the beginning of page 3) it says: "A vegetable may be used to meet the entire fruit requirement. When two vegetables are served at lunch or supper, two different kinds of vegetables must be served."

[Country Kids]

That's right! We can no longer serve two fruits . I knew there was a change was thinking though it had to be a fruit and veggie.