Are you an "Almond Mom"?

[Anonymous]

Juicy Scooooop - fortune Feimster

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm definitely not. I'm very thin, though, so a lot of people assume I'm like that if I say even the mildest thing in terms of restricting certain foods. Like my kid's school gives them cupcakes every Friday for good behavior. I am not against cupcakes, but don't love the fact that they get them every week or the fact that it's a reward (not into food punishments or rewards, food should be separate). But when I raised this with the PTA, several people looked at me and made comments that indicated that they think I'm starting myself and my kid. If they know what an almond mom is, some of them are definitely calling me that behind my back.

I'm just naturally thin. I eat a lot of baked goods. I just think store bought cupcakes with pure-sugar frosting EVERY Friday is maybe not sending the healthiest message to kids, especially not when linked with following rules and behavior expectations. Just have a cupcake if you want a cupcake, not as a reward for "being good." That's the disordered behavior but a lot of people don't recognize it because it's so engrained in our behavior.

That's a lot of words about behavioralism but I am left unclear: do you or do you not think it's a problem to eat a cupcake every week? Do you think there is a meaningful difference between cupcakes made at home and those bought in the store? How do YOU make frosting that makes it something other than "pure-sugar" (and butter or other carrying medium)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Juicy Scooooop - fortune Feimster

I'm a Juicy Scooper and love FF, but how is this related to this topic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm definitely not. I'm very thin, though, so a lot of people assume I'm like that if I say even the mildest thing in terms of restricting certain foods. Like my kid's school gives them cupcakes every Friday for good behavior. I am not against cupcakes, but don't love the fact that they get them every week or the fact that it's a reward (not into food punishments or rewards, food should be separate). But when I raised this with the PTA, several people looked at me and made comments that indicated that they think I'm starting myself and my kid. If they know what an almond mom is, some of them are definitely calling me that behind my back.

I'm just naturally thin. I eat a lot of baked goods. I just think store bought cupcakes with pure-sugar frosting EVERY Friday is maybe not sending the healthiest message to kids, especially not when linked with following rules and behavior expectations. Just have a cupcake if you want a cupcake, not as a reward for "being good." That's the disordered behavior but a lot of people don't recognize it because it's so engrained in our behavior.

That's a lot of words about behavioralism but I am left unclear: do you or do you not think it's a problem to eat a cupcake every week? Do you think there is a meaningful difference between cupcakes made at home and those bought in the store? How do YOU make frosting that makes it something other than "pure-sugar" (and butter or other carrying medium)?

NP.
I think what she is saying is they shouldn’t be using cupcakes as a weekly insensitive for good behavior. It is teaching them junk food is some kind of reward they deserve. And it is never “just” a cupcake once per week. Kids are bombarded with junk. Schools serve free breakfast of pop tarts and coco puffs, then there are the birthday treats kids brining in at least weekly, teachers pass out candy and packaged cakes (honey buns, little debbie) as prizes for class games and rewards, weekend birthday parties, people bringing cakes and cookies to sports practices bc if some obscure occasion, grandparents’ buying stuff..it is a lot. And that isn’t even counting if you chose to bake something at home with your kids or get ice cream on a weekend day trip. Weight aside, it just isn’t good to eat that much junk- for anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm definitely not. I'm very thin, though, so a lot of people assume I'm like that if I say even the mildest thing in terms of restricting certain foods. Like my kid's school gives them cupcakes every Friday for good behavior. I am not against cupcakes, but don't love the fact that they get them every week or the fact that it's a reward (not into food punishments or rewards, food should be separate). But when I raised this with the PTA, several people looked at me and made comments that indicated that they think I'm starting myself and my kid. If they know what an almond mom is, some of them are definitely calling me that behind my back.

I'm just naturally thin. I eat a lot of baked goods. I just think store bought cupcakes with pure-sugar frosting EVERY Friday is maybe not sending the healthiest message to kids, especially not when linked with following rules and behavior expectations. Just have a cupcake if you want a cupcake, not as a reward for "being good." That's the disordered behavior but a lot of people don't recognize it because it's so engrained in our behavior.

That's a lot of words about behavioralism but I am left unclear: do you or do you not think it's a problem to eat a cupcake every week? Do you think there is a meaningful difference between cupcakes made at home and those bought in the store? How do YOU make frosting that makes it something other than "pure-sugar" (and butter or other carrying medium)?

I’m not the quoted PP, but, assuming this is elementary school, a normal-sized cupcake is a pretty massive serving of pure sugar to have for a kid that age, and as someone else said there is a birthday or Valentine’s Party or whatever else like every week. So my kid is getting like 2-3 servings of dessert at school, plus birthday parties, grandparent visits, holidays—it feels like I never get to just buy them a treat for fun because there is too much sugar. So while the cupcake wouldn’t be that big of a deal, having a guaranteed weekly sugar bomb would not be my favorite, then to add the food-as-reward thing which is its own problem would be a big thumbs-down from me.

And FWIW, when we make cupcakes at home I do frosting that is almond- or cashew-butter with enough sugar for sweetness but since the nut butters are already pretty thick, you don’t need as much sugar to get the right consistency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wtf is an almond mom? Does she lactate almond milk?

Love

[Anonymous]

What about hamburger dads? I’m a middle aged guy that lost a ton of weight and started doing a lot of endurance sports. I hear all kinds of offensive stuff from men around me (mostly boomers or gen x) about how I don’t eat enough and I must only eat salad. Yet, I regularly eat 3000+ calories a day. Sometimes I go a week eating pizza (or other garbage) and drinking six packs of high test beer when I’m taking a break. I just ignore those dorks. Most of the time people making any comment in either direction is just them projecting their own issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Juicy Scooooop - fortune Feimster

I'm a Juicy Scooper and love FF, but how is this related to this topic?

Heather discussed it this past week when referencing gwenyth Paltrow being an almond mom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about hamburger dads? I’m a middle aged guy that lost a ton of weight and started doing a lot of endurance sports. I hear all kinds of offensive stuff from men around me (mostly boomers or gen x) about how I don’t eat enough and I must only eat salad. Yet, I regularly eat 3000+ calories a day. Sometimes I go a week eating pizza (or other garbage) and drinking six packs of high test beer when I’m taking a break. I just ignore those dorks. Most of the time people making any comment in either direction is just them projecting their own issues. [/quote
You’re very confused. Almond Moms are not defined by what they eat themselves. They’re defined by what they suggest others eat. E.g. a handful of almonds instead of the yummy thing someone actually wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If I was going to make the distinction, I'd say:
Healthy eating = discussing what types of food/nutrients we should eat
Almond/diet Mom = discussing how much we should eat (and/or what we should NOT eat)

For 90% of kids, if you provide a lot of healthy food and make sure they are having balanced meals before any snacks/treats, they will self-regulate pretty well in terms of intake. I really don't think there has to be any discussion about the amounts of food, the size of their portions, etc. We do have dessert and a bit of junk around. But once they have a healthy meal or snack, they can't really get through that much. And if my kid is truly getting overweight on e.g. avocados, yogurt, apples and sandwiches (possible but unlikely), then so be it...

But that’s not true. It’s quite likely for someone disposed to gain weight. And I agree that it’s fine. But you’re buying into a silly myth that overweight/obesity is rooted in junk food. It’s not about Doritos, it’s about hormones and other complicated physiological systems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am definitely someone with a messed up relationship food and I am perpetually on a diet. I also have no desire to stop dieting and just accepting my body as it is. The extra weight I carry makes me miserable. I think it is great that the younger generation is rejecting "diet culture".

I am also very thankful I don't have daughters because I think boy are more protected from diet culture and I am less likely to screw up my sons with diet stuff than if I had daughters.

Disagree. I have two teenage boys and good athletic . They are very obsessed with being thing and muscular at the same time. Pressure from coaches, society, other athletes. Please stop perpetuating gender stereotypes. I see many boys with disordered eating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, I'm definitely not. I'm very thin, though, so a lot of people assume I'm like that if I say even the mildest thing in terms of restricting certain foods. Like my kid's school gives them cupcakes every Friday for good behavior. I am not against cupcakes, but don't love the fact that they get them every week or the fact that it's a reward (not into food punishments or rewards, food should be separate). But when I raised this with the PTA, several people looked at me and made comments that indicated that they think I'm starting myself and my kid. If they know what an almond mom is, some of them are definitely calling me that behind my back.

I'm just naturally thin. I eat a lot of baked goods. I just think store bought cupcakes with pure-sugar frosting EVERY Friday is maybe not sending the healthiest message to kids, especially not when linked with following rules and behavior expectations. Just have a cupcake if you want a cupcake, not as a reward for "being good." That's the disordered behavior but a lot of people don't recognize it because it's so engrained in our behavior.

That's a lot of words about behavioralism but I am left unclear: do you or do you not think it's a problem to eat a cupcake every week? Do you think there is a meaningful difference between cupcakes made at home and those bought in the store? How do YOU make frosting that makes it something other than "pure-sugar" (and butter or other carrying medium)?

I’m not the quoted PP, but, assuming this is elementary school, a normal-sized cupcake is a pretty massive serving of pure sugar to have for a kid that age, and as someone else said there is a birthday or Valentine’s Party or whatever else like every week. So my kid is getting like 2-3 servings of dessert at school, plus birthday parties, grandparent visits, holidays—it feels like I never get to just buy them a treat for fun because there is too much sugar. So while the cupcake wouldn’t be that big of a deal, having a guaranteed weekly sugar bomb would not be my favorite, then to add the food-as-reward thing which is its own problem would be a big thumbs-down from me.

And FWIW, when we make cupcakes at home I do frosting that is almond- or cashew-butter with enough sugar for sweetness but since the nut butters are already pretty thick, you don’t need as much sugar to get the right consistency.

Making cupcakes at home with cashew butter frosted is peak disordered eating.

[Anonymous]

I tell my children not to eat past full. We regularly throw food away, like if they take two bites of pancake and are no longer hungry, it goes in the trash. Most overweight adults have a very hard time throwing away food, especially if it’s perfectly good and you only took one bite. I never ask what our children ate at school, I ask who they ate with. We basically ignore food outside of meals. Food-focused parents create food-focused children, and this is true of both hyper-nutrition-focused moms and severely food addicted moms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tell my children not to eat past full. We regularly throw food away, like if they take two bites of pancake and are no longer hungry, it goes in the trash. Most overweight adults have a very hard time throwing away food, especially if it’s perfectly good and you only took one bite. I never ask what our children ate at school, I ask who they ate with. We basically ignore food outside of meals. Food-focused parents create food-focused children, and this is true of both hyper-nutrition-focused moms and severely food addicted moms.

I agree that eating more than you want is a bad idea, but so is food waste. Why not pop unfinished food into a Tupperware and stick in the fridge or freezer for later? I enjoy making meals out of random leftovers--sort of like being at a cocktail party and having a bit of this and that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am definitely someone with a messed up relationship food and I am perpetually on a diet. I also have no desire to stop dieting and just accepting my body as it is. The extra weight I carry makes me miserable. I think it is great that the younger generation is rejecting "diet culture".

I am also very thankful I don't have daughters because I think boy are more protected from diet culture and I am less likely to screw up my sons with diet stuff than if I had daughters.

Disagree. I have two teenage boys and good athletic . They are very obsessed with being thing and muscular at the same time. Pressure from coaches, society, other athletes. Please stop perpetuating gender stereotypes. I see many boys with disordered eating.

Agree. It often goes unnoticed in teenage boys. The amount of Instagram content geared at restrictive eating from male accounts is significant. And the pressure from Coaches and teammates can be intense. Size (either way) is so challenging at this age as well. They want to be thin but muscular and strong. The risk is serious damage to their hearts from insufficient nutrition and excessive activity. It really is something that needs more discussion and attention.