Feeding Your Kids

Growing up, my parents fed me pretty healthy food overall. Fruits and vegetables were a part of my daily diet, and I was rarely allowed to get sugar laden cereal, much to my annoyance. But my parents were also by no means strict. There were always cookies in the house, and other slightly junky snacks like chips, cheese-its, etc. While I definitely would not have opposed more boxes of Frosted Flakes around the house, I never felt deprived of the sorts of foods kids like.

With my own kids, I've tried to walk the same line. I watch what they eat, but I try to make a big deal about it. I figure they need lots of energy, and so as long as they are getting some healthy food in there, it's okay if their is some less than healthy stuff in the mix.

In an article published recently in The New York Times, suggests that you can be too overbearing when it comes to encouraging your kids to eat healthy. The overall message is that more than telling kids specific rules like "don't eat candy" it is better to simply encouraging good eating habits by leading by example, and introducing them to as much healthy food as possible.

This is a tricky issue every parent struggles with, and I'd be curious to hear your opinions. How do you try and get your kids to eat well without denying them the joy of childhood and without making them overly worried about food?