7 Surprising Foods Dietitians Feed Their Kids

"Does your mom let you eat these?" My three kids -- now adults -- often heard that question on play dates. But I forgive the moms who asked it: My pantry held some foods many people would never expect to see in a nutritionist's home. But for me, it was -- and always will be -- all about balance. Most any food, I believe, can fit into a diet as long as it's part of an overall healthy plan and is eaten in a reasonable portion.

[See: The 10 Best Diets for Healthy Eating.]

As soon as my boys were big enough to sit up in a shopping cart, they came with me to the grocery store. Though the supermarket is a giant classroom in which kids can learn essential life lessons, it also holds a treasure trove of foods you might see on popular "avoid" lists. So as a parent, when it comes to food choices for your kids, it's key to know when to say, "It would be great if you have this every day," "This is a sometimes food" or "This is a food I prefer not to have at home -- let's save it for the restaurant."

Still, my colleagues stash some unexpected food choices in their homes. For a few of us, these foods fall into a "sometimes" category, making them special and to be enjoyed on certain occasions. For others, the foods are considered everyday items because their overall nutritional value outweighs a few less-than-desirable ingredients. The key is learning how to tell which is which. I'll let them explain below. (Their responses have been edited.)

1. Cream Cheese

"Two to three times a month, when my daughter attends meetings at childcare centers, her go-to sandwich is graham crackers smeared with cream cheese and jam. We created this treat since I'm not permitted to use nut butters in these places. When not in that environment, she loves a few dark chocolate raisins mixed in with dried tart cherries, raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Of course, she also will inhale mint, basil and halved cherry tomatoes from our garden!"

-- Marilyn Wright Yon, a registered dietitian in Georgia

2. Sugary Cereal

"My kids, as many do, loved sweetened cereals. 'I' that 'they' loved some slightly sweetened (but otherwise healthy) cereals as much as the super-sugary ones because I was comforted to know they could still get fiber and enjoy the taste. My kids played sports and were incredibly active, so I knew they were burning everything off."

-- Barbara R. Baron, the Family Meals Dietitian in the New York City area

3. Pho

"In general, my kids love spicy, exotic, flavorful food. They really enjoy pho, a type of Vietnamese soup made with spices and noodles. It might be surprising because it's a very veggie-heavy, ethnic food, but they have been loving if for several years now and they beg me to make it. I think they love the fact that it's flavorful and interactive -- they can build it their own way."

-- Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian and author of "Plant-Powered for Life"

4. Smoothies

"I feed my 3-year-old and 15-month-old peanut butter smoothies. Although it may not be such a surprise that smoothies can be healthy, it's surprising to me that I feed them to my kids because I'm not a fan of liquid calories. For instance, I've never even given my kids juice -- I've only offered water and milk to drink. However, on the mornings when we need to get out the door early, it's so easy to blend up a smoothie that's just as filling as a breakfast plate. The kids are able to drink it out of their kid cups, too, which is an added benefit for me since it doesn't spill all over the car when we're on the go."

-- Jessica Levings, a registered dietitian at Balanced Pantry

[See: 5 Healthy -- and Tasty -- Smoothie Ingredients.]

5. Frozen Dinners

"As a registered dietitian mom, people may be surprised to hear that I feed my kids frozen microwavable dinners. Several brands are actually free of artificial additives and preservatives, and they contain whole grains. I travel for business and these fit the bill on busy weeknights. The kids are able to prepare them unassisted and the meals are pretty well balanced, including sources of protein and vegetables. Frozen meals also save the day when they're cooked and transported in an insulated container to eat in between evening activities."

-- Lauren Harris-Pincus, registered dietitian and owner of Nutrition Starring You, LLC

6. Ranch Dressing

"Without ranch dressing, it's hard to get my children to eat many types of produce, such as cucumber slices, carrot sticks, grape tomatoes and lettuce. I'm okay with it since I consider this dressing to be a vehicle food to help them eat more veggies. It's all about balance and, at the end of their day, if a little ranch means more produce, I'm all for it."

-- Holley Grainger, registered dietitian and owner of Holley Grainger Nutrition

[See: 12 Unhealthy Foods With Health Benefits.]

7. Candy

"The public thinks that most nutrition professionals are the food police and that we never allow our children to eat what other kids often eat. But when my kids were growing up (I'm now a grandmother of five), I not only let them eat Halloween and Easter candy, but I encouraged them to eat it as quickly as possible. My rationale is still that candy is a 'sometimes thing' and if you eat a piece each day, that becomes an expectation. If they got through it pretty quickly, however, we might have had a few days of not-so-hot eating, but we didn't set up a precedent I didn't want to have in our home. I found that not restricting it so much meant that consumption dropped off quickly and we were left with the stuff no one cared about. That was generally discarded without complaint."

-- Trish Farano, registered dietetic technician, test kitchen manager and nutritionist at Dierbergs