Ok - moms, let's chat. Have you heard about this new way of feeding kids that's gaining traction online? It's all about ditching the dessert-as-reward system and letting them enjoy sweets alongside regular meals. New-gen moms (inlcuding Sarah Jessica Parker) are embracing the trend to help their kids foster a healthy relationship with food from a young age. Imagine this: instead of fighting over finishing veggies to get a brownie, your kids see cookies and broccoli as just another option on their plate. Dietician Caitlin Kiarie is a big proponent of this approach. She says forget the diet culture of the past, sweets are just food! Her strategy? Serving dessert right alongside dinner for her three kids.
Dessert With Dinner Should Be Normal
In an interview with The New York Post, Kiarie said, "Giving my kids dessert with their dinner normalizes dessert. Sweets are not something kids should believe they have to 'earn' as a 'special treat' for finishing their meals." Dr. Sara Seddiqui, pediatrician at NYU Langone told The Post that the thought process isn't totally out of whack and that avoiding all sweets and implementing strict diets with your kids can be detrimental, but that balance is really the key. "As a pediatrician and a parent, I recommend a well-balanced diet filled with fruits, vegetables, protein and complex and simple carbohydrates with some dairy and water," she said.
SJP Wants Her Kids to Have a Good Relationship With Food
The movement is even backed by celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker. The actress recently discussed the topic of sugar on the "Ruthie's Table 4" podcast and opened up about encouraging her teenage daughters to have a better relationship with eating than she did growing up. Parker shared that sugar, chocolate, and cookies weren't allowed in her house growing up, and as a result, it led her to binge on sugar when she moved out. She said, "In our house, we have cookies, we have cake, we have everything." She continued, "My daughters will have the figures they have, and hopefully, they'll be healthy ... and enjoy food."
