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Home > Blogs > Adventures in Motherhood > Archives > 2009 > June > 01 > Entry
When is it too soon to give a child a Happy Meal?
I got a call at work the other day from the husband. He works nights two days a week so he can be home with our daughter during the day.
He called to tell me proudly that he just gave our daughter a Happy Meal. Our 10-month-old daughter who doesn’t have teeth and has never had red meat in her life.
We have different opinions on what is appropriate to give our daughter to eat. When she first starting eating solids, I insisted on making all of my own baby food, steaming and pureeing anything I could get my hands on. Peas, green beans, blueberries, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini. You name it, I did it. Organic and homemade.
Then one weekend while we were out of town visiting family I realized we left her food behind and had to run to the store to get jars of food. I still insisted that we do organic. It turned out that she liked the jarred stuff better so we continued giving that to her and I abandoned making baby food.
Since then, we’ve moved on to table food in little bits. She loves cheese, black beans and bread, will eat small pieces of turkey and chicken and tolerates yogurt. Occasionally we can sneak in a fruit or veggie jar of baby food.
So when the husband said he gave her a Happy Meal, I was less than happy.
He said he got a side of apples and not fries. OK, that’s slightly better. And he took off most of the meat and just gave her the bun and cheese. But still, a Happy Meal isn’t really the height of nutrition.
So what do you think? Am I being too sensitive or is my daughter a little too young for a Happy Meal?
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Nutrition
Comments
By Nick
June 10, 2009 1:04 AM | Link to this
I just started getting them for my almost 1 year old (a few weeks left) He likes burgers a little bit, but prefers chicken nuggets and steak. (yes, my ~50 week old likes steak. His grandma owns a restaurant and they have real thin cut for use on sandwiches) At his age, he doesn’t eat it all, so his brother gets a bit extra to eat, I get him milk for the drink, which his brother drinks or it can go in the bottle, oranges if it is an option, otherwise fries, and either the chicken or the burger, though the effort to cut up the burger is a lot more than the nuggets. As a real bonus, the ‘toddler toy’ is NEVER a CD.By momof2
June 1, 2009 2:45 PM | Link to this
We all raise our kids as we see fit. My kids eat healthy and take their vitamins. They don’t drink pop. I cook, and make sure that our foods are good. All that being said… we do not deprive our kids (ages 6 & 7) to the occaisional Happy Meal, ice cream cone, or sweet treat! Like many have said, MODERATION is the key. People, don’t forget to let your children enjoy some “fun foods” in life now. If you don’t, there is a good chance that they will go crazy eating “bad” food when they’re older-esoecailly when you’re not around. I personally know a 19 year old that has gained 28 pounds since entering college.Why? We called her mother the “food nazi” because this poor girl was never allowed to eat anything “bad”.After being at school for a year, she tried every cheeseburger, hot wing, and potato chip you can imagine. If she had been allowed to eat some of these foods as a youngster - along with a regular balanced diet, she would probably be 28 pounds lighter right now! As a parent, it is your job to teach them how to eat well, but you must allow them some food freedom in moderation!By JT
June 1, 2009 12:05 PM | Link to this
Whenever they can chew and feed themselves. Just like ice cream and birthday cake. It’s about moderation and teaching good eating habits. I fed my children Happy Meals and they are well- adjusted and healthy.By Bev
June 1, 2009 11:53 AM | Link to this
We just gave my little man his first “happy meal” on Saturday… we got chicken nuggets and mandarin oranges. He ate 2 nuggets and a little of the fruit, but his favorite thing was the cheese I balanced his meal with. I think that as an occasional thingit’s okay as long as we’re balancing his meals out… defintely not an every day thing… Since he’s almost 13 months old, were finding food he likes best is no longer baby food, he’s probably 90% table food now!By Hillary
June 1, 2009 11:27 AM | Link to this
I’m with M — it’s all about moderation. And to say that no child should have a happy meal ever is just setting yourself up for disappointment. In my experience, the kids with the most restrictive parents were the ones binging on junkfood and candy as soon as their parents backs were turned.By M
June 1, 2009 10:49 AM | Link to this
She may be a little too young, not having teeth or haveing had red meat before. However, people need to remember that Happy Meals are not what makes you obese and unhealthy. Its how much you have and how much you burn off. Of course kids shouldnt eat them all the time, but monitor what they eat and keep them active, and one Happy Meal every once in a while won’t hurt.By Bobo
June 1, 2009 9:44 AM | Link to this
Nobody should give a child a Happy Meal, ever.