Finding substitutions for some not-so-great nutritional habits . . .

[BamaTanya]

Help me out.

Several years I ago, we started having to medicate our son with Asperger's Syndrome. It was awful. Because of his sensory issues, he panicked and gagged. It took dh's helping to get a capsule down his throat. I cried for weeks.

To "reward" him, I'd always give him a cup of hot chocolate afterward. It seemed like a more pleasant way to end the unpleasant ritual.

Well, now he's older. He takes it more easily (though not completely without gagging) with very little help.

And I'm thinking about how sugar-addicted we are. And starting the day with chocolate.

Am I overthinking? Have I built a bad habit? (My dc do NOT have overweight issues. They're beanpoles. Like I used to be before the thyroid issue hit me.) Maybe I should leave it alone.

What could I offer as a substitute? It would have to be pretty great to appeal to him. He's a very-set-in-his-ways kind of kid and balks at any change to the routine.

tia

[lynn]

If there are no weight issues I'd let it be for now and offer a healthier alternative and make the change slowly and matter of factly to help the transition.

[Pencil Pusher]

I don't know...but I'm not sure you should worry about it. I mean, most of us start our days w coffee.

Maybe you could cut back sugar in other areas, but I think some comfort--whether through food or routine--is important.

[Lisa at Home]

It's just like a milkshake, and they're so good it's a treat in itself. Especially with the weather getting warmer, you could offer it and never appear suspicious!:001_smile:

~Lisa

[snickelfritz]

do the smoothie suggestion. Or no-sugar chocolate mix. Or Carnation breakfast mix.

If the rest of the day is healthy, this one thing won't break you.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Hershey's makes a sugar free chocolate syrup. For my dd I will heat up some milk (in our case soy or rice milk because of allergies) and then I squirt some of the syrup in and stir. It is really quick, has a chocolatey taste but is low calorie (though I don't know what kind of sweetner it contains - it may be an artificial sweetner that you are trying to avoid - in which case feel free to ignore me!)

[beansprouts]

Hershey's makes a sugar free chocolate syrup. For my dd I will heat up some milk (in our case soy or rice milk because of allergies) and then I squirt some of the syrup in and stir. It is really quick, has a chocolatey taste but is low calorie (though I don't know what kind of sweetner it contains - it may be an artificial sweetner that you are trying to avoid - in which case feel free to ignore me!)

I would rather my children eat very moderate amounts of real sugar than artificial sweetener.

You can find bars of dark chocolate (70% cocoa, etc.,) Which have very little sugar. You can even find natural/organic chocolate which has no artificial ingredients. They're very rich so a tiny bit satisfies a chocolate craving.

Other healthy substitutions could be a few raisins, or a bite of fruit or cheese or a spoonful of peanut butter. My kids are big fans of frozen fruit - especially frozen grapes. I like the smoothie idea, if you blend fruit and/or juices or milk with ice it really does taste like a milk shake or slushie. I like to use (unsweetened) coconut milk because it has lots of healthy efa's. I often freeze fruit in chunks then blend with a small amount of liquid to make a "sorbet'. My kids love it - they think it is ice cream ;-)

Popcorn is another favorite snack around here, so are plain salted tortilla chips - both are whole grain. Watch for trans fats in any prepackaged snacks (most are dropping them now...)

[RoughCollie]

Given that your DS has Asperger's, I would not change this routine. It is a minor thing and doesn't hurt him, whereas changing it probably would be very difficult for him to handle.

In fact, if I had this routine with my kids, I wouldn't change it either -- it just isn't worth the hassle. I don't see a detriment to it at all.

[Mrs. H.]

I wouldn't change it either. As a matter of fact, we have a pot of hot chocolate going every morning that it is under 45 degrees here, and it really doesn't seem to make a difference in our kids' behavior. It could be worse, and the meds. are probably helping him more than the cocoa is harming him.

[Sue G in PA]

Depending on his sugar intake the rest of the day...I wouldn't worry too much about the hot chocolate. I know my Aspie kid gets "nuts" when he has too much sugar, but I don't think hot chocolate is too much sugar.

[*anj*]

In some cultures a cup of hot chocolate is the traditional way to start the day. My friend from Colombia puts cheese in hers and she swears it's the best thing ever. (I am looking forward to trying some.)

Anyway, I would recommend that you make your own hot chocolate if you're concerned about controlling the sugar. I make it a few times a week for my kids and I use cocoa powder with sugar. I use less sugar than the "recipe" calls for, and I am working on even decreasing that amount. You can also buy bars of Mexican or Colombian chocolate that are slightly sweetened and sort of soft so that they shave easily. That's the authentic way. Yumm!

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Help me out.

Several years I ago, we started having to medicate our son with Asperger's Syndrome. It was awful. Because of his sensory issues, he panicked and gagged. It took dh's helping to get a capsule down his throat. I cried for weeks.

To "reward" him, I'd always give him a cup of hot chocolate afterward. It seemed like a more pleasant way to end the unpleasant ritual.

Well, now he's older. He takes it more easily (though not completely without gagging) with very little help.

And I'm thinking about how sugar-addicted we are. And starting the day with chocolate.

Am I overthinking? Have I built a bad habit? (My dc do NOT have overweight issues. They're beanpoles. Like I used to be before the thyroid issue hit me.) Maybe I should leave it alone.

What could I offer as a substitute? It would have to be pretty great to appeal to him. He's a very-set-in-his-ways kind of kid and balks at any change to the routine.

tia

I vote leave it alone. IMO, it's not a bad habit. This is a comfort issue for him. I'd no sooner take it away than I'd take a kid's blankie away.

[Crissy]

I would keep this comforting habit. And I would certainly skip the artificial sweetners.

Enjoy your cocoa! http://planetsmilies.net/eat-drink-smiley-5155.gif (http://planetsmilies.net)

[beansprouts]

Given that your DS has Asperger's, I would not change this routine. It is a minor thing and doesn't hurt him, whereas changing it probably would be very difficult for him to handle.

In fact, if I had this routine with my kids, I wouldn't change it either -- it just isn't worth the hassle. I don't see a detriment to it at all.

She is right. Maybe you could just work on his snack habits for the rest of the day, but leave this one alone (At least for now).

I like this idea from anj:

Anyway, I would recommend that you make your own hot chocolate if you're concerned about controlling the sugar. I make it a few times a week for my kids and I use cocoa powder with sugar. I use less sugar than the "recipe" calls for, and I am working on even decreasing that amount. You can also buy bars of Mexican or Colombian chocolate that are slightly sweetened and sort of soft so that they shave easily. That's the authentic way. Yumm!