Snacks and Parenting

Recently I was asked if I blog about parenting.  After a brief pause, I felt confident in answering YES!  As a parent I feel a responsibility to  provide for my child (and husband) healthy options not only at meal time, but for snacks as well.  Children are not able to go to the grocery store and select what items they want to keep in the house.  They rely on us to select foods that promote "clean" eating.  

Have you looked in your pantry and refrigerator lately?  What snacks do you currently have in your home?  Are you familiar with the ingredient label on these  foods?   When choosing snacks (or any food item for that matter), make sure you know what you are putting in your body!  Remember, "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!"  

There are so many REAL food snack options, and some of our favorites that we always keep in our house are raw almonds, raw walnuts, cheese, plain Triscuits, and plain popcorn (see The Popcorn Trick below).   I shop at Publix and they regularly have popcorn kernels  Triscuits, and blocks of cheese on sale (often time B1G1)!  Remember, children will eat what they have access to.  It is much easier to  resist those unhealthy foods at the grocery store, than once they are in your house.   So make smart choices while shopping and do not rely on having self control at home.  Educating yourself and reading labels will get you on the right track to transforming how your family eats. 

Parenting can be overwhelming at times, but do not let the health/nutrition aspect of parenting be ignored.  As a former school teacher, I have seen first hand how the chemicals, preservatives and additives in our foods impact a child.  Educate yourself and guide your child to healthy eating habits  that will positively impact him/her for a lifetime.  What better gift can you give to yourself and your entire family!

~Davis 



click here for THE POPCORN TRICK
(from: www.100DaysofRealFood.com)

Ingredients:
-popcorn kernels
-brown paper lunch sack
-butter, oil, and/or salt (these ingredients are optional - I omit them)

Yummy and filling snacks!