Glazing over the paper today and noticed an article about the size & shape of hot dogs and a doctor who is calling on the manufacturers to change the shape of the cylinder shaped dogs because they are choking hazards.
That made me go "Hmmmmmm".
I get the doc's point, why not fix something that is poorly designed? We adjust the natural shape of grapes or carrots by cutting them into manageable, safe sizes. Hot dogs are manufactured to be the perfect size to block a child's airway, so would it hurt the meat company to consider this a valuable idea?
On the other hand, I see this totally as the parent's responsibility. It's my choice what I feed my kids, so it's my responsibility to ensure it's as safe as possible - from the right size to the healthiest choice. Why pass the blame and make the company do this?
But even better - stop feeding your kids crappy hot dogs! The shape is certainly NOT the only thing wrong with the hot dog!
If we're gunning for safety and good health here then don't feed kids chicken lips and pig scraps. I know, I know..... there are veggie options and 'all beef' and heck even organic hot dogs on the market, maybe that's passe to call them chicken lips or aghast 'cancer dogs' which we jokingly called them in university. But we have so many good options out there - why feed our kids wieners at all?
I am not a perfect mom and I don't feed my kids an organic diet- we're pretty middle of the road here - but I aim for healthy food and try my best to feed them things from scratch. If there's a hot dog treat here occasionally, I can darn well remember to cut the tube steaks up and monitor them as they gobble them down (which they do, there is something naughtily delicious about a hot dog....).
I'd rather hear that pediatrician talking about the sodium & nitrates in the hot dogs and getting the companies to remove that before they figure out a way to make a hot dog patty or something non tube-like. Seriously, that would be way better use of his time.
(PS: give me your thoughts below in the comment section -- what do you think??)
7 comments:
Hot dogs are how long in the making? If all our ancestors can survive eating the "classic tube shape" than why can't we take responsibility as well for ourselves? Cut them up, teach kids to eat them properly, etc. Hot dogs are classic, in the bun, and camping, are ideal to entertain. Easy and fun to cook, fun to eat. How fun would roasting a hotdog patty be?
My son isn't even 2 yet. At 1 he had 16 teeth so we just always reinforced to take small bites and chew lots. And since he wants to make hotdog companies change shape, why not the people who make cheese strings. (it's cylinder and my son eats it like a hotdog). Why not all the other companies with "dangerous shaped foods". I agree with you, worry about what is in the hotdog before how it's shaped. I'm more concerned about sodiums and whatnot way more before shape. But unlike some parents I know, I actually take responsibility for my children and watch them eat their food.
I didn't know chickens had lips :)
good point in the last comment about cheese strings too...
i think you're right about parental responsibility. if you're going to let your child run around and be unsupervised while eating, you're asking for trouble!
Once upon a time people put their babies in car-beds or held them in their arms in their cars. Babies died so people invented car seats. Why would it be so crazy to change the shape of a man-made item so children don't die?
Comparing carseats to food is like comparing rocks to plants. You can do it all you want but it's never going to be on the same plateau.
I understand the creation of carseats and other safety seats. But that's because you CAN'T control some guy running a red, or black ice, etc.
You on the other hand CAN control how your kids deal with food, and how you serve the food.
I agree with things from the past being changed for safety against things we can't change or control.
I would go with the "don't serve 'em" if you can possibly avoid it. It's not the meat by products that are the issue for me, it's all preservatives, additives and chemicals in them. They are a highly processed food, doesn't matter if they're all beef, chicken or even organic.
They are absolute garbage...nitrates, nasty animal scraps etc. I say don't feed em at all...but if you do it is definitely the parents responsibility to cut em up!
Ann-Marie... We purchase only all-natural turkey hot dogs without any preservatives or that nasty sodium nitrate... My 7 yr old hot dog lover does not even notice the difference in taste. When I switched over, I didn't say a thing and it went by unnoticed. You can buy them at natural food stores. Sorry, but I can't remember the manufacturer.
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