I just threw away my microwave airpop popcorn bowl and lid because it doesn't work as well anymore (lid's warped and the microwave doesn't "sense" when to stop as well as it did so I can't use the "popcorn" button) and, mostly, because I don't have room for a one-purpose bowl and lid in my tiny kitchen (no drawers at all! Nevermind storage space for bowls). I was thinking I'd buy store microwave popcorn instead (I buy the light) but then got to thinking of my childhood in the 1950's.

We didn't have fast food and, fortunately, my stepmother was a gourmet cook and we were fed properly. She got up every single morning and made us a "real" breakfast before school. I didn't start having a weight problem until I was 26 so I can't blame it on good old mom. But one thing I remember vividly was she would "ration" how many soft drinks we were allowed. We were only allowed 2 a week; you could drink them whenever you wanted but we were also only allowed to watch television on weekends, not during the week on school nights. So, we'd mostly drink some Coke watching tv and then put the bottle with a stopper and a "note" marking it as one's bottle back in the fridge so we got a bit of Coke throughout the week. Of course, my three brothers are all older than I am so would drink most of their bottle and then switch notes so they had my fuller bottle and I had their "done" one LOL but my Mom caught them at that.

Anyway, was thinking maybe I'll buy a box of microwave popcorn, the 4-pack, once a month and do the rationing like that.

When I was a teen with just my youngest brother (2 years older) and me at home, Mom would give us each a "jar" of hard candies for our desk! It was a small jar and was a once-a-week thing too I think, but unique and fun, having candy whenever you wanted and you controlled it.

Dawn,
Your house sounds a lot like our house in terms of kids and food.

I have to pay attention to what I'm eating because I eat, as my stepmother use to say, "quick and dirty," in that whatever is easy and close at hand I'll just keep eating. Think multiple bananas rather than work at cutting up or peeling an orange, toast with butter and sugar rather than a sandwich, popcorn because I'm bored and there's "nothing else to eat" rather than fix something or find some project other than eating to work on.

Growing up we never had dessert at meals. My stepmother made cookies, etc. (didn't have many store bought cookies until I was in college) and we'd come home from school and could "snack" until 4:30 when the kitchen "closed" for dinner prep. My friends still think I'm weird because I actually don't like cake and ice cream on birthdays :-) So I have no trouble not eating my husband's "geedunk" unless there's nothing else around; then I'll do Poptarts in a heartbeat!

I think that the key is moderation. I know that for party situations KD suggests eating 3 (I think) healthy bites for every treat bite. There are variations of this for daily life. I, personally, am a popcorn junkie. But I don't allow myself popcorn if I don't feel I have the calories left. That way I force myself to plan for these types of treats. I can pop without guilt if I have had a "clean" eating day. But I just don't enjoy it as much if I have guilt about eating it.

I have also stopped using the microwave. I was popping corn in a kettle in oil. But then I decided that I would rather spend those fat calories on butter instead of oil. So I bought an air popper and then I use real butter. Yum.

Kathy

We had so many rules about food when I was growing up. I think that's why I started out with difficulties as a young adult.

I got away from home and wanted to eat what I wanted to eat, with out any real frame of reference of what was healthy, just what had been forbidden.

One of the big rules was not eating in between meals, and then having to eat everything on your plate. "Clean plate club" GAG!

How much better off I would have been eating healthy snacks in between meals and and not being force fed meals. Then there was only dessert when your plate was clean. OK, who doesn't want dessert growing up, so you clean your plate and then eat the dessert even if you're not hungry, because you want it.

Oh, don't even get me started...

I ration "real" desserts like that... two a week. But once in a while we have 3... the rule is flexible and works for us.

I don't know if I'd worry about rationing popcorn...

You can make popcorn on the stove with canola or olive oil. About 2 tsp oil for 1/4 c. corn kernals.

Alton Brown has a brown paper bag microwave popcorn recipe at www.foodnetwork.com. KD has one in the Day Book.

But generally, I like rationing. I learned some good life long habits from the (flexible)rationing of treats in my childhood homes.

PS......you can buy individual size microwave popcorn packs. Although I don't know that popcorn is something you really have to be concerned about rationing anyway.

quote:

My son will actually have discussions with me about is this healthy, is that healthy, did I eat a healthy lunch today? I think that is going to serve him better in his life.

I am with Dawn on the food rules! My middle son is such a picky eater, that when he does eat, I am actually relieved. We have discussions about healthy choices all the time in my house too. My kids are all label readers ! In fact, this weekend (my husband is the weekend snacker, he buys them whatever they want every Saturday) my son asked me if I would like a bite of his snicker bar and announced that it has 4 grams of protein. He concluded that it was the best candy choice because of that.

I'm not sure I like the idea of too many food rules for kids.

The kids I knew with the most food rules are the ones that went out of their way to break them when they were away from their parents.

I'm not saying you fill the pantry with junk food and let "Joey" and "Jane" have a free for all. I just think teaching them about what is healthy, and feeding them healthy food and filling the fridge and pantry with those healthy items sets them up for more of a lifetime of healthy eating than too many rules.

My son will actually have discussions with me about is this healthy, is that healthy, did I eat a healthy lunch today? I think that is going to serve him better in his life.

Don't get me wrong, we have limits. He's not allowed to drink soda often, and definitly not any with caffiene. He can't eat dessert everyday, but he does frequently, but usually in small amounts.

Otherwise, there aren't too many rules in our house. If he's hungry then he can eat. (Unless the meal is almost ready.)

Somedays the child eats almost non-stop, sometimes he barely eats. I think he listens to his body and what he needs. I have also noticed that even when he is given dessert, such as ice cream, if he's not hungry, he stops eating it and puts it in the freezer for the next day.

Dawn

You know, I had similar rules when I was a kid. When we spent a summer day at the pool, we could have ONE snack in the afternoon. By the time I was a teenager babysitting kids at that same pool, moms were giving me $5 for each kid's food during the day. They wanted something to eat every time they got out of the water. Where did those simple, but effective rules go? (Not to mention those cool stopper thingys that fit so perfectly into a Coke bottle.)

I think it's a great idea to reintroduce them for ourselves and our kids. Currently, DS has TV rules -- he watches only shows that have been recorded, so we can fast-forward over commercials and he can see something he really wants to watch, not just whatever happens to be on. Right now, his biggest food rule is that he has to at least taste something before he says he doesn't like it or won't eat it.

I'll have to think of a few more "rules" to apply to DH and me.

quote:

Originally posted by p7eggyc:


The only caveat I would say about your plan is if you are concerned about transfat, you will find microwave popcorn to have it. If you can track down an airpopper and will actually choose that (which I won't...I'll find another snack because I just don't care for it), that's an even better choice.

Thanks for sharing!

Peg

Smart Balance and a couple of other brands don't have transfat.

Dawn

Margo! Great work! This is so helpful when we can get BACK in touch with good habits that we've had in the past. It makes it sooooo much easier to if you are recovering a good habit then jettisoning a bad one. You've seen and done moderation so you can have all the confindence that you will be able to do it again. You've also succeeded at the delayed gratification thing which can really serve you in this journey. The conversations go something like...I want a brownie...If I still want a brownie on Sunday, I'll have one...or whatever. That's a really effective way to manage some of those splurge type calories.

The only caveat I would say about your plan is if you are concerned about transfat, you will find microwave popcorn to have it. If you can track down an airpopper and will actually choose that (which I won't...I'll find another snack because I just don't care for it), that's an even better choice.

Thanks for sharing!

Peg

IF you can do that it is a great idea. I would end up cheating though. Now that I don't have to wait for mom to supply the goodies, and I'm an adult and can go buy more anytime I wanted, I would if I really wanted it.