New food goals

It's Monday!  Yay!  For me, Mondays always mean the day to start something new.  In this case, it's not technically a "new" thing, just getting back to what worked before.

Over the last several months, I began taking notice of what I was allowing the kids to eat.  It wasn't pretty.  I was shocked to realize I had become so lazy at parenting that I was handing my kids a cookie for their snack.  Yes, you did read that correctly.  For an entire week I wrote down every item I allowed the kids to eat, meals included.  Here's a snap shot of what it looked like.

Snacks: jelly beans, chocolate chip cookie, marshmallows, pop tarts, potato chips, Girl Scout cookies and the list goes on. 

I am appalled by that!  Yet, I am the one making and handing them the snacks, so I only have myself to blame.  There isn't a fruit, veggie or anything that doesn't contain loads of sugar on that entire list!  No wonder the kids have been rowdier than usual!

This weekend, things changed.  Drastically.  I did my bi-weekly grocery shopping and came home with NOTHING that contains sugar.  No sweets (okay, I did come home with a small package of M&M's...those are for me to munch on.  It was also the check lane size package).  I brought home nothing that isn't healthy for them to put into their growing little bodies. 

Snacks for this week will include string cheese, homemade granola bars (recipe here, thanks Once a Month Mom),trail mix, fruit, yogurt and raw veggies.  I began this change on Saturday and to my utter shock, it was met with joy!  Not once have they complained or ask for anything sweet.  Quite the opposite.  While cutting up some oranges and opening a can of pineapple, Ren ask if we he could have some carrots to go with it.  CS has been singing "Fruit Salad" by the Wiggles and I've been happy to oblige.  A has been all about celery with peanut butter!

Since I'm taking the blame for the poor choices in the kids snacks, I am also changing the way I'm doing snack time.  No longer will it be a "oh goodness what do I have" rush around to find something.  Not this time.  While making my weekly menu, I added snacks to the bottom of the spread sheet and plugged in my choices.  Now, like the menu, these can be changed or switched with another day.  Just having them at the bottom of the page, however, allows me to know ahead of time what snacks to prepare.  For instance, today's snack is ants on a log.  The kids love this one and I can easily prepare it while making breakfast.  This way, it's ready to go at snack time!  Easy for me, easy for them. 

I really still can't believe what I have been allowing the kids eat.  It made me so upset after reading my list for the week I tracked it.  Hopefully things will be back on track!  I know I will feel like a better Mom knowing what they are eating is good for them!  Jelly beans...sheesh!