Measuring food

On the way home from the grocery store - both girls in the car - I said - we bought all kinds of new cereals today. The first time you have some - look on the side of the box and see what a serving size IS and then find the style of bowl that you usually use and measure out a serving size so you know (what it looks like in the bowl without having to measure it each time).

Middle child gave me a big lecture on how she was not doing that.

At one point, I would have bought everything that she said - hook line and sinker. Because I would have thought measuring was part of the solution for me - because I have a food problem.

But I am soooo past that level of thinking.

I said - that is total crap and you know it.

I said - I am not suggesting that you go to the school cafeteria with a set of measuring cups. Every single person, every where, needs to learn how to read the side of a product box and then be able to know how many servings they are eating.

Then I dropped it.

I did hear her in the kitchen, later, getting out a measuring cup and a variety of cereal bowls and quietly dumping cereal from bowl to bowl.

And ever since then - the youngest does what I do - uses a measuring cup - as her spoon to get things out of containers.

And if you think this means these kids are restricting what they eat - think again. If they eat the cereal and they are still hungry - they eat something else - but not more cereal. Portions - variety - not over eating/getting stuck on ONE food.

ME?

I still measure everything that I eat - every day.

Cottage cheese, oatmeal, fruit, egg beaters - I get out the measuring cups every single time.

I don't dump anything (or just go for the general look to measure volume) - I have a LOT of measuring cups and I use them! My food scale is still on my counter. For some things (chicken) I use the size of my fist rule - but many other things I still weigh - every time.

I am not saying that I expect my kids to measure everything.

But some things I do insist - like egg beaters - because that one is a fooler to just dump into a pan. And if we all measure - the package goes a lot further and some how comes out even in the end .

And my pet peeve - processed/wheat based foods (crackers, chips, etc.) - take out a serving - measure, count, whatever - put it on a plate - put the package away in the pantry. Do not take the package with you and eat directly out of it.

And I have no illusions that this need to measure is a faulty perception problem on my part. I think it is what we all should be doing - and teaching our kids.