In parenting as in life, it's all about making good decisions. The trick is knowing which choices are the right ones. This small colorful book tells you very simply which food choices are the right ones. It not only tells you, but also shows you with hundreds of color photos. Although it is supposedly for kids, the information is useful -- and fascinating -- for anyone.
We've all heard the scary statistics about the rise in obesity, especially in children. Food marketers are doing everything they can to keep that trend alive. According to the Federal Trade Commission, kids ages 2 to 11 will see 26,000 TV ads this year, 22 percent of them marketing food. "The message -- that junk food equals instant happiness -- is one that sticks with a child for all his life." Eat This Not That! gives sound advice on how to combat this problem.
The first chapter has eight simple rules for kids and families to follow:
Rule #1: Never Skip Breakfast. Ever.
Rule #2: Snack with Purpose. (A good idea: popcorn; not the kind saturated with butter and salt, but natural popcorn. Another good idea: Kids must ask permission for a snack, but never need permission to reach for a piece of fruit.)
Rule #3: Beware of Portion Distortion. (A good idea: Buy smaller bowls and cups.)
Rule #4: Drink Responsibly. (A good idea: Keep cold, filtered water in a pitcher in the fridge.)
Rule #5: Eat More Foods and Fewer Science Experiments. (A good rule of thumb: The shorter the ingredient list, the healthier the food.)
Rule #6: Set the Table (A good idea: Keep mealtimes as structured as possible.)
Rule #7: Kick the Sugar Habit. (A good idea: Eliminate foods with sugar or high-fructose corn syrup at the top of the ingredient list.)
Rule #8: Eat the Rainbow. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple foods have a multitude of benefits.
You'll be surprised, finding out whether some foods are on the good or bad list. Learning that Applegate Farms organic uncured turkey hot dogs are on the Eat This! side isn't so surprising. But José Olé shredded steak taquitos? Breyer's Double Churn creamy vanilla bean ice cream? It seems "Double Churn" is Breyer's code word for low-fat, which makes this dessert a go. Oscar Mayer bacon scores a Yes, while Oscar Mayer turkey bacon scores a No, because of the extra sodium in the supposedly more healthful turkey option.
I had to wrestle Eat This Not That! out of my 14-year-old daughter's hands to write this review. She was captivated, poring over it exclaiming on the different foods we now eat that we should swap for others. She wailed when she saw the Cadbury Creme Egg as the very worst in the "Worst Candy" section. And she can kiss those Hershey's Kisses goodbye. Oh no! Sun Chips are on the Not That! list! Some of her favorites were on the Eat This! list, though: Marshmallow peeps, Tootsie Pops, Boca burgers, Eggo Nutri-Grain low-fat waffles, MultiGrain Cheerios, Egg McMuffins and Kraft Tangy Italian spaghetti dinners.
I could go on and on about this book. It covers school cafeteria food, fast-food restaurant food, vending machine snacks, kid-friendly recipes, how to read nutritional labels, holiday meals and fun exercises for kids of different age groups. Each food lists its complete nutritional information, including the portion size, calories and grams of fat and sugar.
Other books I recommend on this topic:
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto,
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life, and
Deceptively Delicious.
Here's the chapter list:
1. Feeding the Future; The 8 rules of kids' nutrition
2. At Their Favorite Restaurants; The best and worst meals at 40 fast-food and chain restaurants
3. The Eat This, Not That! Ultimate Menu Decoder; Strategies for eating right at any restaurant
4. At the Supermarket; The complete Eat This, Not That! For Kids! grocery list
5. At School; How to survive and thrive in the cafeteria and beyond
6. At Home; Making your home the healthiest in the neighborhood
7. A Legacy of Fitness; Shed pounds with your kids with these fun family activities