Kids, Carrots, and Candy: A Practical, Positive Approach to Raising Children Free of Food and Weight Problems

by Jane R. Hirschmann, Lela Zaphiropoulos

In this comprehensive parent-child guide to eating behaviors (from infancy through adolescence) the authors show parents how to put an end to the eating battles which confront them on a daily basis. This book will help parent and child put food back into its rightful place. Previously published as Preventing Childhood Eating Problems (featured in McCalls, Parenting Magazine, Sesame Street Magazine, Newsweek, New York Times, CNN, The Oprah Show, and many other T.V. and radio shows), Kids, Carrots, and Candy has a new Introduction that addresses society's current obsession with the "obesity crisis," as well as updated language throughout the book. This insightful book offers a common-sense, relaxed approach to healthy eating based on the method of self-demand feeding. Contrary to the belief that children must be forced to eat what's good for them, to clean their plates, and to avoid all sweets, Kids, Carrots, and Candy presents evidence that children will naturally self-regulate their eating if rigid rules are not imposed upon them. By trusting natural hunger cycles and letting children choose when, what, and how much they eat, food becomes demystified, and a lifetime of fears, fights, and anxieties around food, weight, and diet are eliminated.

Genres: Parenting

218 pages, Paperback

First published October 20, 2012

Reviews

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduces the self-demand feeding method for all ages. The ideas in here go against what feels like "good parenting", but the authors are knowledgeable and are backed up by current research. The jest of it is that kids should eat when they are hungry foods of their choice and stop eating when they are full. Sounds simple enough, but it really isn't for so many of us, especially those concerned about sugar and healthy foods. I had heard about this book years ago, but figured I already understood the ideas and didn't need to read it. I realized recently, though, that I was too involved (aka controlling) in my youngest son's food choices. This book was just what I needed, as I gives reasons for the self-demand feeding approach and suggestions for how to handle everyday situations we will likely encounter using it. I highly recommended it to parents of kids of any age, especially if you have any food issues yourself.

[Jill Delong · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's premise was good, but I felt really uncomfortable with its recommendations for breastfeeding mothers and encouragement of weaning when the mother wasn't ready. Otherwise it makes sense - the less restrictions you make on food, the less fighting and pushback against those restrictions will happen.

[Kelli Randell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting (if uncomfortable) approach to feeding children - let them have whatever they say they’d want. She recommends setting up a “snack corner” or part of the fridge that’s dedicated to the child and whatever they would like to eat, even if that’s just a bunch of “bad” food. I’m trying it right now with my two daughters and I do admit, it’s a struggle to let them eat candy on demand, but I guess we are going through the reprogramming phase. Right now they are very food driven and obsessed with sweet things, so would like to take that power away.

Some criticisms:
- Wish there were more scientific/research oriented references rather than observations from people in her course
- Would have liked more explicit details on how to manage things with nonverbal children and toddlers, since I still feel a little uncomfortable with giving them whatever they’d like. Also, with regards to setting boundaries; I wasnt’ really sure I understood what she meant (let them eat what they’d like, but don’t go out of your way to inconvenience yourself?)

Overall, interesting theory and I’ll be hoping for similar results with my two children!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes a strong argument for self-demand feeding, which is basically allowing children to eat intuitively. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom about feeding children, and it is a pretty difficult idea to accept - but I had been reading some blogs about this and the book tied it all together in a way that made a lot of sense to me.

Basically, we start out life ideally eating intuitively. Babies indicate their hunger and are fed. The authors support continuing this model of feeding, feeding children when they tell us they are hungry and teaching them to eat as they desire until they feel full. There is no judgment here - we eat as much as we want to because we listen to our bodies, we eat whatever we want to because if we listen to what our bodies want, in the long run they will generally lead us to what we need. (Nutrition for children, it is mentioned, is something that should be seen in a one or two week period of time, and not stressed about in the course of a day or a meal.) Foods are not assigned moral values or given a "forbidden" status. There's a lot of talking about hunger and fullness and what those things feel like, and what hunger for different *kinds* of food feels like, and helping children to recognize those things.

It's a lot of very challenging ideas, but they are based on healthy concepts. We approach food in a similar way but are trying some new things based on reading this book. I think it's a good read for adults who have difficult relationships with food, too, because it's an approach that teaches trust in your body and trust in food, and a removal of all guilt, fear, judgment, and general drama about eating. Even if we don't end up embracing every single thing about this book, I think it is very valuable in adjusting attitudes about feeding and food. I was annoyed by the fact that no sources are cited explicitly. Studies are referenced a few times and I know there IS research associated with this topic, as I have read it elsewhere. To their credit, the authors themselves are well qualified to discuss the issue. But I think the book would have more credibility with a wider audience if it were more thoroughly cited, and honestly, if the title were not so hokey.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is basically intuitive eating for kids, or how to not give your child an eating disorder. It’s made life with my five-year-old so much less stressful.