Food/snacks for Your Kids

I'm not the food police but for budget purposes we did have certain foods that were designated to pack for school lunches/snacks only, namely the prepackaged more expensive stuff, like nuts, granola bars, chips/crackers, cookies, water bottles, etc. (nobody judge me re the water bottles, my kids constantly lost the nice reusable bottles I bought for them, and yes we recycled!!!)
I managed it by simply having a "school only" basket in the cabinet, the kids knew they could always eat anything else they wanted to, trail mix, cheese sticks, cereal, fruit, whatever.
So yeah, keep the "snacky" salty sweet stuff limited to school lunches but really they should be allowed to graze fruits and veggies, milk/cereal, half a sandwich, a cheese stick, popcorn, low sugar yogurt, etc. in between meals.
My kids are 15, 19 and 22 now and they are all very healthy, always have been, athletic and of normal weight, so I think that's pretty good evidence of healthy eating and lifestyle.

I'm not a food controller. I graze all day on small meals, fruits, etc. I never have a huge meal.

My daughter is the same way. I never policed when she could snack, etc and we all managed a light balanced dinner together.

Neither of us are over weight and we are in shape . We're very petite and small bites work better for us than some huge meal that gives bloat and a stuffed feeling.

We eat small snacks as we need them. Our snacks are cheese, nuts, fruits . A favorite is a veggie tray with homemade ranch dip.

We do drink a probiotic daily and eat a good amount of yogurt.

Moderation is key!!

I would just add some protein to the morning routine if they aren't all eating yogurt. It holds them longer. If you can add some healthy fats, that would be good too (maybe some almonds or walnuts in the oatmeal and muffins). The lunches sound good with a mix of protein and decent fats. Or you can whip up a smoothie with yogurt and frozen fruit - it's quick and healthy, and you can sneak some kale and flax seeds into it if you're really sneaky!

I get that the snacks have to be dry, but if they are eating things like that and then want crackers after school, it's not going to really satisfy them because it gets digested too quickly. I realize you don't want to deprive them of a fun snack, but how about making a tub full of trail mix, with some nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, etc.), some seeds (sunflower, pumpkin/pepita), some craisins or raisins or another dried fruit, and something for crunch (Chex, small cracker or other carb), and some dark chocolate chips or even a few M&Ms so it's clearly a "treat". Put an old measuring cup or a bunch of tupperware-type containers next to it, and tell them that's the amount they can have. That way, what they're eating has protein & healthy fats and fiber with a smattering of chocolate.

I'd be sure to give them water - a lot of hunger is really thirst. Tell them they can have a cup of the snack mix if they have a cup of water too. You can take the juice of out the lunches - not much nutritional value there, at least compared to fruit with fiber.

I have a relative who is a registered dietician. She is the most down to earth mom I know - she doesn't follow any special diets in her house. She is very old school - says that if you eat properly (moderation and simple) you never have to think of this stuff. You'll get the nutrients and vitamins in. She said it's just when you switch to processed foods and prepackaged foods and let that be the majority of your diet - that's when there are problems. A little in moderation ... and you never have to worry about this stuff.

That's pretty much my practice too. I grew up in a household that loved food and were active. No one in my family had weight issues or even thought about it. You ate so that you could go out and play in the park. I guess that's how I view it today. It's energy. So when my kids play hockey, they eat accordingly.

My kids have to eat when they get home. Like another mom, we have stuff used in lunches (granola bars, etc.) that is strictly for lunches - otherwise it would get eaten up. So they can have a sandwich when they get home, fruit, pitas and humus, cheese, a boiled egg. Mine go in and get it themselves. Little ones I put out a few things to nibble away at.

When my kids were little, and starving while I made supper, I put out cut up fresh veggies because that's how they liked vegetables. They wouldn't always eat them cooked. I discovered that kids, when starving, will eat just about anything - so I will chop up an apple or cut up celery sticks. So I always offer stuff like that first when they are ravenous. Clementines. Raw cut up cauliflower. So when I'm making supper, and they stream through hungry, that's on my counter. Then I don't have to worry if they didn't eat their apple at lunch.

I am a baker. Not so much a cook unfortunately! So we always have a supply of baked goods in my house. Moderation. You have them as a treat. Not if you're ravenous. Same with chips, etc. They are for movie night. Popcorn .. snack to take when we watch hockey games. Or if it's a snow day and we're stuck inside. Hot chocolate and cookies after the rink. Ice cream hot day playing outside or at the park. I never really think of it - but treats are part of fun times for us. They are not required .. but we enjoy food.

I don't think I've ever really said no to my kids if they were hungry. Maybe if it's very close to a meal, but if they want to start their salad (are that hungry.. ) go for it.

If someone said to me that I could have one treat a day, I'm not sure how I would react. Some days (PMS) I need (ok want..) my cookie with my tea. And if I want another one in the afternoon ... then I will :) Some days, I'm not so much in need of treats. Some days, I want carbs. Other days, protein. My kids are similar. I think day by day our needs change ... and so does our schedule. I know when we're on vacation we treat ourselves more. Same if we have friends over .. so I think I am more flexible than strict about this stuff. Honestly, if we never stop and think about it, but get the vitamins in ... I'm ok with it. The kids are average sized (maybe on thin side) and healthy - healthy is what I'm looking for.

I would suggest one drawer in the fridge and/ or shelf in the cabinet that has healthy snacks. Stock those locations with snacks that you approve- fruit and veggies, nuts, raisins, whole grain crackers, etc. If they need a snack, they can choose from those options.

We go with "dessert nights" on the weekend. The rest of the week is no desserts (with the exception of birthdays and holidays). It makes it easy- no, you may not have a treat, it's not a dessert night. Same with the snacks- yes, you may have a snack, go pick something from your shelf/drawer. No negotiation.

Keep junk food for things that you do control, like lunch where you send a specific portion and decide how frequently, or special occasions like parties or Friday night pizza night :) I personally feel that kids just need to learn the appropriate way to enjoy the junk- an occasional treat, not a regular part of meals, not some forbidden temptation where you are following them around at parties smacking GMO cheese puffs out of their hands :)

it sounds like an overall healthy sensible food attitude, except for your worry over it. how about sticking to this as an overall principle, and have a few rules (no snacking right before dinner doesn't sound horribly oppressive to me) and let go some of the small stuff?
for example, i'm not sure why the school snack has to be 'dry.' wouldn't an apple work?
i think it's fine to say 'no' to the granola bar if dinner is less than an hour away. maybe have some carrot sticks, or bagged salad available so if they're starved they can get a small jump on dinner.
chex mix isn't a terrible snack, especially if you're making your own. but yeah, not right before dinner.
i don't think it's overly controlling to bring 'em to the table hungry.
khairete
S.

When my kids were growing up, I made one healthy meal for everyone...... they learned to eat what I cooked. If they didn't want to eat, that was fine, but they didn't get the option of going and fixing something else. They waited until the next meal.

As a result, I have adult children that are very adventurous eaters...... and the youngest is classically trained as a chef.. (he is still working his way up in the kitchen world....)

I hold the same line with the grandkids, with their mother's agreement.... the youngest has a few problems with that, since they are also living with a family with very picky eaters, and she is learning to be a picky eater along with the other kids. That family also has a snack area in the pantry that all of the kids can go get into whenever they want..... thus, she thinks if she doesn't want to eat a good dinner, she can just go grab a granola bar.... however, I don't allow that.

Anyway, it worked for me..... (I have found out a few times in the last few years that there were some things various kids didn't like, but they learned to eat it anyway......)

Your kids are all under 7 right?
Sounds like they're eating in a healthy manner.

I do know that if I "had" to eat "on command" every day of my life? I wouldn't like it at all. Not everyone is hungry at the same stroke of the clock. Sounds like they're VERY hungry after school and they have to wait...how about more in the packed lunch?

I decided when my son was pretty small that the dinner table was not going to be a battle ground in our house.
(When I was a kid, dinner was much like you described! Lol)
If my son didn't want what we were having? Cereal or a PBJ.
I didn't become a "short order cook" but it worked for us.
As for occasional treats? Not before dinner but watch that you don't creat e those kids that can't control themselves when junk IS available to them.
Oh--by the way--my kid eats everything, is not and has never been picky. He ate what we ate about 99% of the time.

similar to our house... I do not buy organic.. as I do not see the benefit and it costs too much.

similar breakfasts.. I pack snacks for school.. always is a fruit..(4 oz Tupperware cup of fresh strawberries or grapes or tangerine) and a 4 oz Tupperware cup of goldfish or homemade muffin sometimes a granola bar.. kids eat school lunch on days they like it.. or I pack PBJ or leftover pizza or lunchable..

dinner is normal.. they get a snack after school. and on on nights when they have a dance class or something they get a snack when they get home.. as I am sure they are hungry again..
both of my kids are very skinny.

I like Diane B's suggestion about the healthy homemade trail mix. If you aren't sure they will be careful about measuring it out, then you can purchase those small snack-size plastic bags (about half the size of a regular sandwich bag) and fill up several of those in advance. Let them know they can take one or two after school without asking you. And vary the ingredients from time to time - add dried apple bits one week, chopped up dried bananas another, so they don't get bored. Mini chocolate chips and mini M & M's are a great addition, and a little goes a long way.

For those before-supper begging times, set out a small plate of carrot sticks and celery sticks, sliced thinly, already washed and ready to eat. Just help them get used to munching on a crisp raw vegetable stick before dinner.

I think your approach sounds pretty sensible already. Protein in the morning is a great idea - yogurt is a good source, but just keep in mind that the kids' yogurts have lots of sugar and food colorings and sometimes additives. You might set out a bowl of plain Greek yogurt and a couple of jars of healthy jams, raw honey, and some fresh fruit and let your kids mix in their favorites into a bowl of yogurt. Kind of a "make your own yogurt sundae" type of breakfast.

Most importantly, relax, serve foods that are pure and natural, let your kids feel like they're having some autonomy and independence and creativity where food is concerned (by learning some basic recipes for homemade Chex mix, making their own yogurt creations, cutting up fruits and vegetables if they're old enough to understand the importance of sanitation and how to use a knife safely), and show your kids that food is a source of energy, and that meals are a time to share food, blessings and family.

My daughter gets a snack when she gets home. She has lunch at 11 and I don't pick her up from school until 5 or after so she is starving by the time we get home. They will have a light snack at her after school program. When she gets home she will have an apple or some other fruit or yoghurt. Just something light until dinner is ready.

We always ate strangely when the kids were growing up - but it was healthy. I was a protein pusher for breakfast - cheese sticks, baloney, peanut butter & apple, PBJ sandwich sliced into strips, even leftover dinner. (My son was famous for asking for meat when he was a pre-schooler "you got any meat?" ham, tureky, chicken, beef - what ever we had for dinner the night before) But i figured it was healthier than sugary cereal or commercial granola bars laden with sugar. Now my high school son has brown & serve sausage for breakfasat - defrosted in the microwave then popped in the toaster over to brown.

When the kids got hungry while I was making dinner I'd give them their veggies - sliced up red bell peppers, carrots, cucumber slices, steamed cold brocoli, and ranch dressing. While they watched Disney shows and I made dinner, they had their veggies so there was no arguing at the table.

Some evenings we had desert (usually ice cream or pudding) some nights it was just a couple of cookies. At one point I had a big cookie jar on the ocunter - but when they began to reach into it themselves I got rid of it and started hiding the cookies and sweet treats. I still do to this day!

My daughter's in college and my 6'3" son is in HS livng at home. he could eat a package of cookies in a sitting and not even realize it - so I get creative with my hiding places. He's learning how to manage his weight. When I controlled their food they were thing & healthy. Now that they can eat whatever they want and whenever they want (and they have their own money to buy cookies if there are none in the house) they have been forced to learn how to control themselves. They're learning!

This is the perfect post for me right now - just went through this with my GD.

I too used to pack her lunch and supervised what she ate pretty much every time she ate. Although she qualified for free school lunch, I packed her lunch because I wanted to be sure of what she was eating and I didn't have much faith in school lunches.

So, when she started MS this year, I kind of backed off. She's 12 and she started wanting to eat more junk food so I let her. Big mistake.

About a month ago, she started having serious pain in her right side. She missed four days of school, could not do karate or participate in PE. Doctor ordered an MRI which took 2 hours and she hated it. No answers. We were very scared. So, last week I decided enough was enough and took her to Children's Hospital. They x-rayed her abdomen and come to find out, she was full of poop! I saw the x-ray and her entire right side was just packed full! They prescribed Mira-Lax and a high fiber diet. She has been on that for a week now and is completely back to normal!

In looking into high fiber foods, I discovered that most of what I was feeding her before was high fiber foods! I just didn't realize it. So, now she is back to letting grandma control what she eats and she is glad for it!

So, I say keep keeping tabs of their eating. Buy a few of the junk food snacks because it won't hurt every now and again, but for the most part, they should be eating the healthy stuff.

As far as snacks in the late afternoon, we have had a house rule for many years that all snacking is done before 4:00. Nothing after 4:00. That way she is hungry for dinner. Snacks any later than 4:00 kills the dinner appetite!

You schedule and types of foods sound very normal. One thought that might be a nice addition is to pre-prep some veggies and fruit and put them out before dinner. I have a friend who does this each evening and it's a great way to get the kids to eat yummy, healthy snacks before dinner. She puts out a small plate, and everyone shares, so they still have room for dinner. I need to try to get better about doing the same. Examples of what she serves, cut up peppers, carrots, grapes, strawberries, cucumber and hummus. Not all at once, but 1-2 things on a small plate about 30 minutes before dinner. Just a thought.

I regulate the granola/protein bars too. I buy them for quick snacks or fast meal before an early morning sport, so I need them to be there when we need them. If I let the kids eat them whenever they wanted, they would be gone in days. My kids know they can eat any veggies and fruit, but I request that they ask before eating most things. It's helpful for meal planning. If you have one avocado for dinner and your children eat it for a snack, not good. To run an efficient kitchen you need to have a few rules.

My kids can have an apple or grapes while waiting for dinner. But like you, I try to prevent snacks within an hour of dinner, but they are allowed fruit.

My kids aren't limited in their treats....They have candy everyday, and many days they'll also have a cookie or something. I don't really keep track of it. I just try to make sure they are eating a balanced diet of a variety of foods --no easy task when they just want to eat cereal all the time! But like you I try to make sure there is something at the dinner table they all like (even if it's just apple sticks). I try to make a favorite of each kid every week, and then I will have "parents choice" nights a few times a month that consists of food they just won't eat. On those nights, I have sides they will eat (so if we are having a dal, they will have plain rice, edemama, and pot stickers.)

My kids eat their fair share of junk, but they also love fruit. They also have a fairly big snack around 3:30. It's basically a small lunch, fruit, yogurt, a bowl of cereal, or cheese and crackers, etc. My son needs this. My oldest doesn't need it as much, but my son really needs a small meal to get him to 6.

You need to give them a small meal when they come home from school AND you need to find out how much of their lunch they are actually eating. With the stuff you said you send I wonder how much of it they eat and how much they toss. They might not be eating very much in the time frame they have.

When kids get home they've gone without eating for several hours and they need high protein NOT high carb. The carbs will still be digesting when it's time for dinner and they might not eat.

Another thing. It's their nature at this age to develop tastes and not like the same foods so making them it or go hungry might just make them be hungry. Allowing kids to say no to us when they do or don't like things allows them to develop independence.

Kids who can't say no to mom and dad or get in trouble also can't say no to adults who tell them to do things that aren't so nice.

Your menu sounds reasonable. If their snack is not after school or if dinner is later than 5 or 6, I understand them having difficulty waiting for dinner. I've found that a few crackers or veggies as a snack around an hour before dinner still leaves kids hungry enough for dinner. This is when a handful of chex would work.

I don't understand why you don't want them to have chef very often. Chef are nutritious. Actually more nutritious than most bread.