Originally Posted by
corky
One of the problems with allowing a kid to make their own meal choices is that they are not likely to make nutritious and balanced picks. Many kids would gladly eat a McDonald's burger every day. It is one thing to ignore nutrition when you are an adult (and that is also bad) but when kids bodies and brains are developing they need certain nutrients and vitamins and fiber etc. Plus even though they may not like it all, it is good to introduce kids to new healthy foods at a young age and also good eating habits. Of course, kids should get to eat crap sometimes....we all do.
Ding! It seems like there are very few vegetables included in some meals. I'm not a picky eater, other than avoiding allergens (tree nuts, peanuts, etc.). I wish my parents had introduced me to a greater variety of foods as a child, but given any number of reasons, including a wider range of allergens that I've since outgrown, they didn't.