Woman Called An 'Almond Mom' For Refusing To Get Her Kids Chick-fil-A Everyday
The mother is now worried that she is depriving her children and fears they are missing out.
ESB Professional / Shutterstock A mother is questioning the dietary choices she has made for her children after their peers believe that she was being too strict with them.
The mother said she likes to provide “balanced meals” for her family during the week, but now cannot help but wonder if she went too far after her children said they were “missing out” on having the same treats as their friends.
The woman was called an ‘almond mom’ since she doesn’t allow her children to eat fast food often.
The term “almond mom” is used to describe a parent who is dangerously obsessed with pushing healthy diets on their children. The term originated from a clip of the hit reality series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” when former model Yolanda Hadid told her daughter Gigi, who was feeling lightheaded, to eat two almonds to help her feel better.
Viewers criticized Yolanda for forcing an unnecessary and unfulfilling diet on her children. Now, this mother feels as if she may be doing the same. Sharing her story to the subreddit, r/Parenting, the woman admitted that she is “questioning everything” when it comes to her children’s diets.
Before she even had children, the woman said that both she and her husband stuck to having a balanced, healthy diet during the week while treating themselves to more sugary foods on weekends. And once the kiddos arrived, not much changed. They stuck with the healthy weekday, cheat meal weekend diet.
“Usually we all pick something like a small bag of candy, some chips and an ice cream bar or soda, things like that,” the woman wrote. “We also like going to the farmer's market and the kids will get treats from there like ice cream or crepes or we'll go to brunch or dinner and they'll have dessert.”
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The woman said she tries to have a “positive approach” when it comes to food and emphasizes the fact that her children are allowed to enjoy sweet treats in moderation.
“The kids have access to fruit, yogurt, popcorn, cheese, and other snacks all the time,” she shared.
She recently realized that other parents do not have the same dietary expectations for their kids.
“One of my kid's best friends has a very different dynamic at their house. They'll arrive at school with sugary drinks from Starbucks every morning and their parents will take them to Chick-fil-A after practice, sometimes with my kid who likes to sleep over with their friend,” the woman wrote. “The parents will even drop off food from fast food places for their kids at their school at lunchtime sometimes.”
The woman admitted that the parent’s leniency when it comes to certain foods seemed “crazy” to her.
“My kids are jealous and feel like they're missing out,” she wrote. “The 12-year-old said their friend called me an ‘almond mom.’ That's not who I want to be.”
The woman says that she tries her best to provide her children with the proper amount of nutrition they need and follows the recommendations of pediatricians, but now wonders if she truly is going overboard with enforcing balanced diets on her children.
Photo: Evgeny Atamenenko / Shutterstock
“I feel like I am depriving my kids and I'm not sure what to do,” she said.
She is worried that her kids might start viewing Chick-fil-A as a forbidden fruit and want to have it more and more, especially since they see their friends enjoying it so often.
“I think my question is, am I an almond mom? Should I join everyone else at the Starbucks drive-through line every morning?” she asked other Redditors. “I know they want to feel included and have these things their classmates have,” the woman wrote. “My fear is that the more they have it the more they'll expect it and then suddenly I'm dropping off Taco Bell burritos at middle school so they can have it while it's warm.”
Most people assured the mother that she was doing what was best for her children and that she certainly was not an almond mom.
Most commenters assured her she had a fair system in place “What you are doing is great,” one person said. “You can have fast food every now and then. Special occasions like after training and just a quick burger and chips in the car because it will be a while to get home and make dinner. Have these as an exception rather than the rule.”
“How is, ‘We put some limits on things and have treats in moderation’ an ‘almond mom?’ How is daily takeaway food better parenting than having home-cooked meals the majority of the time and takeaway food as a weekend treat?” another user noted.
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One user who claimed to be a registered dietician who specializes in pediatrics offered their own advice to the worried mother. “You are doing a great job. That other family is trying their best too even though from what you see they are indulging in a lot more processed food than you would,” the user shared.
“If you want your children to be flexible and eat all kinds of foods with that emphasis on whole foods, then keep doing what you are doing (it's great!) but now that they are getting older maybe you don't need to stick to a certain day of the week, or maybe you do!” they added. “Maybe you let them get the Chick-fil-A once a week with them knowing that restaurant food is expensive and you won't be buying it more often than that. Maybe you do the Starbucks drive-thru one evening or morning as a surprise or learn to make a dupe of their favorite drink at home and make them on weekends together.”
Photo: Alena Haurylik / Shutterstock
While the mom believes that structuring and planning when to have certain foods is what is best for her children, there are a few benefits to being flexible with food choices.
Trying new foods and cuisines can be an enjoyable and enriching experience. Being open-minded about food allows individuals to explore different culinary traditions, flavors, and cooking techniques. It can also help kids expand their palate and culinary knowledge.
While Starbucks and Chick-fil-A may not be the most exotic meal choices, there is nothing wrong with enjoying a coffee or chicken sandwich from the establishments every once in a while. More importantly, however, teaching kids to be flexible when it comes to when and what to eat, can help ensure a healthier relationship with food in the future.
Although, you should avoid having fast food daily, and if you only allow your children to eat fast food every so often, that does not make you an “almond mom.”
As long as you are allowing your children to eat, it makes you human.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.