snacking with other kids | ADHD Information

One of the reasons I'm not pro-diet is that you can't enforce it after a certain age, and most kids (I'm sure a few are different) won't enforce it themselves once they hit around fourteen. There's no data showing that food causes ADHD, but, if you think you'd like your child to have a healthier lifestyle, you can certainly give a good example and introduce him to nutritious snacks that he'll like and pick out on his own when he's older. I don't know how to fight the pizza/chip/hotdog wars though. Few teens want to be outwardly different from others and most have terrible diets. Exercise is great if your kid likes sports. Helps mood too. Try packing grapes, celery, carrot sticks, raisins and nuts - they are light and everytime I bring them out the rest of the kids devour them!  Popcorn isn't too bad of a snack and it is light to carry in a backpack. Good luck!My son is pretty darn good about not eating artificial colors at this point -- he's 7, almost 8. He actually reads the packages and reports to me if I accidentally bring home something with artificial colors in it (try finding gum without colors or aspartame!)

What worked with him was not making it a hard and fast rule, but talking about what the junky "foods" might be doing to him. When he wants something artificial, I tell him it's up to him, but he should notice how he feels after he eats it.

He has come home from a school birthday celebration wired and told me, "I think there was artificial colors in those cupcakes, mom!"

So he's starting to experience it for himself, which helps a lot.

How long this sort of logic will hold, I don't know!


One possiblity is to make a healthy dip or two to compliment the chips brought by the other parents.  Guacamole, for example, may be fattening, but it's healthy.  Avacados are great for you.  You can make this to go with tortilla chips.  You can make a healthy and tasty bean dip to go with fritos.  Hmm.  Potato chips are a little trickier.  I'm thinking....  Anyhoo, if the kids are eating a dip, they will eat less chips.  Maybe, get on an internet cooking site and try to get some recipes for healthy dips.  Chips are bad cholesterol also. Daniel can have very little of this they use oils he is allergic to. We try the baked stuff instead. No corn either allergie food. He also has to have the vegs most kids hate. Peas/Gbean allergie also. He careless for these 2 anyhow. TEACH HEALTHY EATING HABITS. USE ALTERNATES TO CAN'T EATS.  ALLERGIES CAUSE A INTERNAL PROBLEM ALSO.IT CAUSES A NERVOUS SYSTEM REACTION. Cherries are in season now and taste great.  I have a two year old who had cherries for the first time today...I think she thought they were candy  and I could not cut them ( and de-pit)  for her fast enough

[QUOTE=MomWI]One of the reasons I'm not pro-diet is that you can't enforce it after a certain age, and most kids (I'm sure a few are different) won't enforce it themselves once they hit around fourteen. There's no data showing that food causes ADHD, but, if you think you'd like your child to have a healthier lifestyle, you can certainly give a good example and introduce him to nutritious snacks that he'll like and pick out on his own when he's older. I don't know how to fight the pizza/chip/hotdog wars though. Few teens want to be outwardly different from others and most have terrible diets. Exercise is great if your kid likes sports. Helps mood too. [/QUOTE]

I don't think that food causes ADHD however I think Brandon could have a food intolerance. This is because he was passing a lot of gas before I cut back on dairy. He also had a sore stomach at times. I just want him to be more comfortable. There are food intolerances in my family. Myself included.

I don't have ADHD. You can bet your bottom dollar though that I feel for lack of a better word better after eating chicken or a salad then hot dogs or chips.

Lillian I like your idea about the dips. Some healthy dips would likely taste great.Kosher hot dogs ,Baked chips, Pizzas with different crusts. Hope these ideas might help. Yes, they can still do this just keep it for special days. The ideas I gave still allow the fun foods. Tell them why a food is not so good. It works with Daniel. What we do if we have to snack as a treat I buy fat free chips or baked same for the others like doritos,etc.  When we have them it is a treat for I do  not buy them regulary and when we do it is healthier less calories.

I have been trying to modify our diets so we can both be healthier. I want to loose more weight. My son is ADHD so I am trying to lessen his symptoms. So I am trying to cut back on junk and preservatives etc. We have been going to the local wading pool often lately.

The other moms bring snacks. For example one brought Doritos,the cheerio snack mix and fruit loops today.  Another group brought 3 big bags of chips. You get the idea.

 I bring a healthy snack. I walk a pretty good distance to get there. Therefore I cannot bring a lot of fruit along with my folding chair and water.  

My son wants to have these snacks which are chalk full of preservatives and additives since he sees the other kids eating them. The other kids are good about sharing.

So how do I  ensure that he either doesn't have any or has very little? He'ss 11 and I'm sure that when he is out with other teens in a few years he will want chips etc. like them. I want him to make healthier snack choices both now and later.

We don't go until after lunch. Although some days a few houers pass after lunch before we go. I could offfer him a healthy snack on the way there along the way there. Then give him a few chips or whatever about half an hour after arriving. And offer more healthy snacks as the time passed.

I don't think there is a way that you CAN ensure that he doesn't eat what you don't want him to.  Eating with a group is such a social thing, he may not feel as left out if you allow just a few, or make sure he eats a good meal or snack before you go out to other situations where there will be food you don't approve of.  If you harp on him, he will likely just lie about it, sneak about it, plain forget about it, etc.  When you are not there, I'm sorry, but he will probably decide to eat what is offered.  My son was dairy and wheat restricted when he was little, and it was very hard at that age, and I realized that it would just get harder as he got older.  He did grow out of these though, and it is no loger a problem, but we had MANY battles about it at the time.  If you son is not seeing any immediate result from eating these foods you restrict, he won't see the reasoning, and just maybe feel controlled. 

I think you are doing the best thing, by offering your good foods at home, and bringing healthy alternatives when you can.  Beyond that, I agree it's like NOTellin said. 

Good topic....  i don't know an 11 year old boy that has ever had an full tummy.  lol  j/k  I'd start packing a light weight back pack for him.  Give him a little bit of a "bad treat" (so you can monitor how much he eats), then pack fruit or granola bars.This is a problem. I've been told that try as you may, the kids will swap/trade stuff in their lunches at school to get their hands on this junk. My niece said the swapping goes on daily. They will get it one way or another apparently. Maybe you could just tell him before you get there that he can have three doritos only, etc...

That may work. I'm not sure. My son has a huge appetite. I guess with all that swimming, he gets really hungry. I will also try to bring very healthy snacks along that aren't too heavy to carry like plain rice cakes,peanuts and almonds and see if I can coax him over to me every hour or so to have some.

Bring him with a full belly. Offer rewards for laying off the junk food while he's there.