Food Shopping
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Food shopping can be difficult, especially when you have kids in tow.
Shops are often designed to attract your children to the worst kind of
foods. The
following tips may help you to take control over your food shopping:
Bring back shopping lists!
Supermarkets love it when you shop
without a list...they have a range of tricks to get you to make impulse
purchases. Plan your meals for the week, make a list before you leave the
house (go easy on the junk food), and stick to your list when you
shop. As well as ending up with a healthier shopping basket, you will
almost certainly save money. If your child asks for something that you
don't want to buy, just explain to them that it is not on the list.
The Nag Factor
If your children are a nightmare to take shopping, constantly nagging and
throwing tantrums when they don't get what they want, consider leaving them
at home. OK, this may be easier said than done...but maybe you could
work in partnership with a friend. You could mind their children while
they go shopping, and they could mind your children while you go shopping on
a different day. Discuss this issue with your friends...you may be
surprised at how many people are concerned about this issue.
Teach Kids to be Discerning Shoppers
Read food labels...try to gradually improve your product knowledge. Ideally, you want your children to become discerning shoppers, and they
won't learn if they never go shopping. Involve your children in the
food shopping...they can help to make the shopping list, and they can be
sent to fetch items in the shop. Older children can be set tasks, like
examining food labels.
Don't be afraid to be negative! Use phrases like: " look at the
sugar in this stuff, it's pure rubbish, it will give us all
toothache!"...Children will learn to enjoy criticising junk food. Let your children know WHY Shrek is
appearing on the side of the breakfast cereal packet. "Look at
that, how nasty, those people are using Shrek to sell junk to little
children...poor old Shrek!".
Don't lie to your children - some parents go over the top when
trashing junk food. Far better to be rational and truthful. We don't need to
lie, the truth is on our side.
Be Prepared!
Don't shop on an empty stomach! You won't make rational decisions if you are
hungry. If the kids are with you, make sure that they're not hungry
either...this may help to tone done the "pester-power". Keep
some healthy snacks (like dried fruit) with you in the car, or buy a bunch of
bananas for your children to snack on.
Take the Lead - Be the Boss!
Don't be afraid to take the lead. Remember, YOU are the boss! As parents, we have to remember that
we are in charge. Don't be too dictatorial, and explain your decisions to
your children. Give your children some choice, within boundaries that YOU set...ask them
which flavour yoghurt they prefer, or if they want jam or honey on their toast.
Talk to your children
Raise the issue of food advertising with your children. Explain to them that
adverts are designed to make people buy things, and that they often bend the
truth. Even very young children can understand that adverts can bend
the truth. Explain to your children WHY the "free" toy is in
the coco-pops, or why the sweets are positioned at the checkout.
Encourage them to be cynical and discerning consumers from a young age!
You can find some of the tricks used by advertisers here.
Give older children something to rebel against...explain how advertisers
try to make mugs of us by using tricks to get us to consume. Nobody
likes to feel that they are being controlled, or that their decisions have
been influenced without them realising...especially teenagers! Appeal
to your child's sense of individuality.
Try to educate your children about food. Explain which foods are high in
sugar, fat or salt. As you learn more, share your new-found knowledge with
your children and other parents.
If you have any
tips of your own, why not email them to us at info@red-branch.com
and we will include them on the site.
