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This is not such a big deal for one of them, since she frequently chooses fruit for snacks. However, the other one....not so much. Of course I didn't make a big deal about it, but just acted like it was an everyday occurrence.
Two things contributed to their decision: having fruit that they like available....and not having unhealthy alternatives available.
As to the first, there are certain varieties of apples they like, such as Fuji (what we had yesterday) and Gala. Grapes and pears are usually popular fruits, too.
And for the second part, I'm trying to keep the pantry free of unhealthy snacks. Right now we have Bear Naked granola, raw almonds, small boxes of raisins, Wheat Thins, and Triscuits on hand. Sometimes they'll cover a piece of wheat bread or a Ritz cracker with Nutella for a snack, and I'm okay with that. They could also choose from two kinds of yogurt or energy bites in the refrigerator and a container of homemade vanilla wafers on the counter.
Before you crown me Healthy Mom of the Year, let me assure you that this is a work in progress. Last week they worked their way through a pile of Valentine's candy (though I did make them choose a few pieces to throw away).
But as I've mentioned before, at least for our family, making healthier food choices is a journey, and choosing apples for snack is a small step in the right direction.
What healthy snacking tip could you share with me?
I keep low fat string cheese, Gogurts and no sugar added applesauce cups in the frig for Jane. She also likes nuts, actually we all like nuts. I usually keep a (homemade) container full of nuts and mini M&Ms. I scoop that out using a 1/4 cup to keep us from devouring it, cause that's easy to do. But it's relatively healthy compared to eating a bunch of candy or chips/crackers while satisfying the sweet/salty craving.
ReplyDeleteI think that when healthy snacks are around kids will choose healthy, sure some treats are nice but too much bad stuff makes their tummy aches (according to our 4 years old, too much cookies make her tummy hurt)
ReplyDeleteooh - I totally fail in this department! My girls love yogurt and fresh fruit, but we also have oroes and chips that they have with lunch {which means that hubby and I have them for snacks at night} Sigh.
ReplyDeleteWe do pretty much the same thing. It makes it easier if the right choices are available. Sometimes I make the oatmeal peanut butter chocolate no-bake cookies for a sweet treat. I figure at least they are getting some whole grain. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat job!
I make my easy pumpkin choco chip mini muffins [ http://castleblake.blogspot.com/2011/09/easy-healthy-pumpkin-spice-chocolate.html ] from Sept-Mar and then my granola bars [ http://castleblake.blogspot.com/2011/05/gloriously-great-granola-bars.html ] Mar-Sept most often for healthy snacks. :-)
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