I almost didn’t do this video.
I honestly thought it would be too wacky and out of the box for some readers to handle.
My change of heart occurred when one of my children said, “Mom, you HAVE to do that video”.
Out of the mouths of babes.
So here I am posting a video about the best trick I know for teaching your kids about the dangers of fast food and hopefully keeping them far far away from it forever – even once they are out of the house and making their own decisions.
While this trick won’t work for older children, if your kids are still quite young, it should work well.  My three kids want absolutely nothing to do with fast food and that includes my teenager who has more freedom away from his parents and has the opportunity to indulge if he chose to.
So here it is.   What do you think? Too wacky or totally on target?
Mom Versus Fast Food (Mom Wins)
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sarah, you are my hero! Just found your blog and YouTube clips. Great stuff. I think chucking the maccas and getting the toy is compromising to get a desired outcome. You do what you need to, to get a message to your kids. A few $3.60 investments and a few more plastic toys isn’t going to be the end of the world. It’s not meant to be rocket science. Just an attempt, which worked for you to get your kids out of the fast food loop. Whats not to like.
Right on target! Train a child when he/she is young and they will not depart from it. My husband and I are getting better at not eating out as much. We think it’s a cruel thing to be even exposed to fast food, because it is so addicting and so bad. It’s a lot harder to stop the habit as an adult. I think it’s wise for any parent to save their children from such a bad habit!
Great videos Sarah, Can you please tell me about your microwave/convection oven? What brand/model etc. if you like it? Thanks so much
Hilarious!!!! I only wish I would have done that when my kids were small. They ate healthy until they went to kindergarten …. and the peer pressure was too much. They would trade my healthy goats milk bluberry homeade muffins for twinkies and candy. Sometimes I wish I could have home schooled (but most the time I am glad I didnt!) We just do the best we can and move forward. I bring my kids healthy snacks after school when they are starving (chocolate milk made from raw milk and cocoa and stevia), and apples and other things and then I usually don’t hear any complaining. It’s when I have forgotten to bring snacks and our schedule is long and crazy … when we are starving is when we cave! The trick is to always try and come prepared!
I was expecting something way more extreme. I am not sure that will work as they get older. I have found from my experience that it’s a constant reminder about what the “food” really is and what it contains and how it affects their bodies. I showed my boys (10yrs and 8yrs old) the pink slime video and told them that’s what is in chicken nuggets and hamburgers from these places. That was all the visual they needed. Plus whenever they eat something not so healthy then feel poorly we talk about why their stomach hurts or they are irritable or have a headache. Sometimes lessons have to be learned the hard way.
that’s extreme! seems pretty mild to me. i’m not going to tell you the stuff i’ve done/said to steer my son away from junk… anyway, so far it’s working. he’s 4 yrs.
but if this method gets them to avoid junk, then ok, do it.
I hope the mom goes back a lot to teach the kids a lesson. If she had let them taste it, I could believe it might work. Plain hamburgers really don’t taste very good. (Also, as an experienced mom I know that her kid with that kind of eye blink rate is definitely lying) 🙂
I wouldn’t do it bc/of the waste factor either and mainly bc/I would not want to buy my child a junky MIC toy from McDs, BUT it is a unique approach. It is visual and will certainly stick in a child’s mind, maybe better than hours of explanations about healthy and unhealthy food choices ;o).