I finished the book today and am starting tomorrow. I’m a single parent and my main reservation is how I’m going to manage cooking something that will give my 6 year-old’s growing body everything it needs without me having to cook 2 separate meals. I don’t want him to think I have a “strange” dinner and cook “normal” dinner for him as I’ve heard this attitude can give kids an unhealthy relationship with food later on. But I’m not sure he should be eating the restricted calories of the BSD. Any advice is welcome. Thanks

Hi Kelsbells, A child should definitely not be on a calorie restricted diet nor should he have carbs restricted or reduced except for bad things like processed foods. Depending on what your 6 year old eats it is common here to give the kids their normal meals and have the same without the carbs and / or add extra veg for you. However, a six year old might still be on the burgers and fish fingers (not together I hope) so it might be really difficult for you. I hope someone comes on to answer what they do based on their own real experience. Good luck.

Hi I have two kids ,13 (girl), 11 (boy). I told them I needed to change the way I ate because I had to fix my pancreas (true). In particular I asked that my daughter not bake as much as she would like to for a few weeks whilst I got used to the new way of eating. Now I can easily not eat the cakes and biscuits she makes and leaves lying around in tins and Tupperware.

Then it very much depends on what you already cook. We were mostly meat and veg etc not stuff mushed together or processed food so easy enough to put a jacket potato on the side, or me have just the protein and veg portion (counted). The only bought meal I cook is lasagne, so they have that if I’m too busy to cook (read can’t be arsed) and if there’s nothing else around I would scrape the meat bit off and eat it. On fahita night I have the meat and veg, they have the meat and a wrap with raw veg on side.

5 or so months in, the kids see me eating spinach, avocado, courgette, butter, cheese, broccoli, fish, meat. They see me not eat bread, cake, pastry, and frankly I’m not that fussed if they decide not to eat that either, though both do. We get through maybe 3/4 of a loaf a week.

Since they were small I’ve known they shouldn’t have sugary yoghurt, sugary breakfast cereal, fruit juice etc and it’s always been a fight as they have felt deprived. Interestingly now I am walking the walk they are way more understanding that all that stuff isn’t around and I don’t feel inclined to buy it for them. There’s plenty of Greek yoghurt, cream, peanut butter (whole earth has no sugar) and 90% chocolate, plus daughters baking. Also they get loads of sugar and carbs at school.

I think people are over sensitive about kids getting eating disorders if we question what they eat. The national debate about obesity means they are aware it has health implications. Mine are older, I know, but we’ve been having talks about moderation, being healthy, when enough is enough and me saying ‘no’ to the third helping of cake for a long time (clearly I was only saying no to them, not to me!)

Are there any specific foods you are worried about not giving him? What kind of food do you cook for both of you that you think you can’t eat?

Ps: I think he needs about 1800 calories a day – so definitely no portion control of healthy food for him x

PPS: sunshine girl – burger and fishfingers combined – surf’n’turf? 😂😂

I also have a girl (13, who likes baking) and a boy (11) so I’m not sure if JackieM really wrote that last post or I did…

I also usually just modify regular meals to leave out carbs for myself. But I’ve been worried for a while about passing on my body issues to my daughter, as my mother did to me. She is active and slender at the moment. She asked for a Fitbit for Christmas to count steps and so on, but she also tracks food with it which I wasn’t really expecting and it worries me a bit. If she eats over the calorie limit she’ll walk around the lounge room to ‘earn’ more. Not bad in itself, but I don’t feel like she should be thinking about this stuff at all. She’s clearly copying me. I’m careful never to body shame myself in front of her, but she knows I’m trying to lose weight and get healthier. It’s a tricky balance, to be open and honest without putting too much focus on it.

Hello,
I have a 5 year old daughter, and we have been eating a BSD/M-plan diet since May last year. We all have the same meals and she has some added carbs. For example, we might have ham and scrambled eggs for breakfast, she’ll have toast with hers if she wants it. If we have yogurt and berries, she has granola sprinkled on hers. For dinner she’ll have some pasta or rice or roasted vegetables (lucky girl gets tiny roast potatoes in hers) or tortillas, whatever goes, along with hers. I keep bread and tortillas in the freezer. We have berries and cream or chocolate mousse for pudding. There are some sweets in the house, but they’re hers and O H and myself wouldn’t dream of eating her sweets!
My 5 year old loves hot smoked salmon, fillet steak, sea bass, chicken saltimboca, nearly all vegetables and especially roasted garlic. You may be surprised and these foods will appeal to yours too.I have every confidence that my child is well nourished and thriving. I think we all eat well. Our diet has no negative impact on her, I think is what I’m saying very long-windedly.
Good luck xx

I have two girls aged 8 and 11. I also am super aware of never mentioning weight, diet etc and have explained that this is for my blood sugars and why it’s important.
I also feel a bit wrong as I give them white bread sandwiches in their school lunch! But now they re into sourdough, will choose that over the cardboard stuff, so all these little changes help give them the ‘ better’ carbs and as sunshine-girl says, their carb answer calorie intake should not be restricted. I limit my kids junk intake quite seriously so that the occasional lolly or chips is ok but not a daily or weekly choice. They rarely have sugary yoghurt or juice etc. but will happily now eat Greek yogurt and berries but I do bake with them and sneakily halve the sugar in the recipe etc. They are all ‘sometimes’ foods although I don’t stint on describing why sugar is unhealthy. I give them pasta potatoes etc and although they have always been good with eating vegetables they now love many of my bsd meals and things like mushroom roasted in butter and garlic ( check out Luvtocook’s awesome link on the good eats thread for low card sides) and sautéed spinach and will actually now request them as snacks!
I think if you put the focus on healthy choices and just keep giving them the bsd meal you are eating with their serve of carbs as JackieM and Natalie recommend, and let them try some of the delicious side dishes they will do great. I agree that watching us eat positively and enjoy the amazing food can only have a beneficial result.

Hi Kelsbells
Firstly welcome and secondly as a single parent for most of last year i can understand the various angles this diet can cause issues.
Have a look at the web site Diet Doctor, i find it covers most recipes in a low carb version with sides and extras to maybe bulk your daughters diet while you keep your calories low. Look for things that keep in the fridge as next day snacks/treats for both of you?

Fill out your profile and keep posting, plenty of tried and tested users on this forum willing to support you.

wow, thanks everyone, this is helpful. We do normally eat healthy most of the time in terms of lots of vegies, meat and tofu etc but we do have carbs with most meals – so noodles, pasta, flatbread, potatoes etc. So I will continue to keep up the carbs for him and ditch them for me. Seems strange though if carbs are bad for you, why would I give them to my kid? Everything in moderation, right! Anyway almost through day 1. Quite chuffed. Thanks again for your advice.

Kelsbells – well done on Day 1. I always think the same about giving them carbs but now give them white bread but only with savoury topping and think at least they feel like they are getting something they like plus we eat way less sugar at home overall. Strangely more relaxed about their diet now mine is sorted.

Am pretty sure you could make carbs way less for children and it would be fine, just they’d need more of the good stuff, especially stuff with fibre. That was where my own fast800 was lacking, I have to make special effort to eat my greens now. And son in particular wouldn’t eat kale or spinach (yet!?)

Keep up good work!

Natalie – 😂😂😂 about the baking daughter and younger son. My daughter is also getting more and more conscious about food, but I think in an informed way, knowing about protein and good fats. I think it’s a good thing. I was obese as a child and desperately unhappy without knowing what to do except not eat (impossible!). whereas she is not and also she is looking at stuff like healthy smoothies, which we then make. If anything I think our WoE is a great help when explaining what is faddy and rubbish out on the great wide inter web.