Noodling over Butter Noodles
Just the other day, I was talking to a lovely married couple about how their two daughters (both between the ages of six and ten) refuse to touch any sort of vegetable. The mother went on to tell me that when their family of four goes out to eat at a restaurant, their girls order butter noodles (plain noodles with melted butter) because that is all they will eat. They refuse to try anything on the menu; ever. She went on about how one time while they were at a local restaurant the server brought two plates of butter noodles (by special request) to the two young girls. The butter sauce in this case included bits of parsley to which one of the girls had a tantrum because there was “green” in her butter noodles. So, they sent the bland pasta dishes back requesting plain noodles with butter, nothing else, and absolutely no parsley. The proud mom of two finished her story with a little giggle and a smile as if she adored the behavior of her precious noodle consuming angels and found their demands cute. The mom (I later learned as the conversation went on) works in medical imaging for a large healthcare system. It truly surprised me that an educated women in medicine would allow her two growing daughters to ban vegetables and fruits from their diet.
The encounter above has not been the only instance where I have heard of these so-called “butter noodles”. I have listened to similar narratives from parents who permit their children to eat butter noodles as a staple, not a side dish…a staple! Now don’t get me wrong, an occasional main plate of butter noodles might be okay (with a side of roasted broccoli, of course). And butter noodles might even be an acceptable side dish served with a seasoned chicken breast and some green beans. But in every case of “butter noodles” that I’ve run into, the “butter noodles” are a constant go-to meal because the children do not like fruits and vegetables, or meat for that matter. Butter noodles are like macaroni and cheese, a bit duller in flavor, and have no nutritional value; but apparently anti-vegetable children love them.
If you are a parent and are not encouraging your child (starting at the infant and toddler stage) to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and healthy lean proteins, you are setting them up for failure. All (and I mean ALL) little bodies and brains rely on important nutrients that come from natural foods. Fruits and vegetables should be mandatory in every person’s daily nutrition. Childhood consists of the most crucial years of a young person’s life. This is the time to be shaping them and helping them create lifelong healthy habits that they can carry with them into their teen years and into adulthood. Any diet that consists mainly of white processed carbs will only increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies, weight gain and chronic diseases, like heart disease and cancer. Why would any parent wish this upon their child?
I understand that some days parents just do not want to put the energy into fighting a toddler to eat their Brussel sprouts. Some days it seems much easier to give in to the whining and just let the little ones eat whatever they want; even if it means putting the energy you did not want to spend fighting them into making them an entirely separate meal that they will eat. But aren’t parents supposed to be the enforcers of what their children do and do not do, what they eat and don’t eat? Isn’t it our parental duty to make sure that our children grow up making good decisions and steering them away from anything that can harm them? Isn’t it a parent’s obligation and responsibility to teach their children what is best for them and to hold them accountable to certain standards? Guess what, Parents? Food can help your children and food can most certainly harm your children. This is a very serious reality. Ultra-processed foods make up 70% of a child’s diet in the United States and 1 in 5 children and adolescents are affected by obesity in in this country. Put two and two together and please realize the connection here. The food pyramid for most kids today consists of goldfish crackers, colorful breakfast cereals, sugar-filled sports drinks & sodas, and a bunch of other refined factory-made foods that are damaging our physical and mental health.
A diet that lacks fresh fruits and vegetables comes with a long list of potential troubles including heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and even vision loss. But relax, these things won't happen right away, it will take years…sometimes decades before these illnesses set in. So, continue serving butter noodles and allowing your children to dictate what is served at the family table. Kids are good at knowing what they want; not what they NEED. If you find yourself in this situation, your whole family is missing out on some fantastic opportunities to try new foods TOGETHER and explore an amazing selection of colors and textures. Make a commitment to teach your babies to love the foods that nature has provided them. Your job as a parent is to ensure that your kids get what they need, not necessarily what they want.
A good friend of mine told me “If you permit it, you promote it”. Parents, if you permit your kids to eat like crap, you are simply promoting bad nutritional behavior and poor habits that will have a very unfavorable outcome in your little one’s existence whether it be sooner in life with constipation, acne, behavioral disorders, or Type II Diabetes...or maybe it is decades later with obesity, heart disease or even premature death. Find the energy today to encourage good nutrition. Learn alongside your little ones and teach them healthy habits that they can take with them into being active & productive adults. Promote good nutrition and enforce it like your life depended upon it…because their little lives desperately depend on what you (the parent) instill in them.
