May 19, 2006
Healthy Foods Newsletter
by Leanne Ely, C.N.C

It’s nearly that time of year. School will be out shortly and they’re coming home. They’re already whining and (surprise!), they’re constantly hungry. So what’s a mom to do?

Feed ‘em!

Kids need snacks, but not constant grazing. You need to make sure the snacks are healthy and are going to do them some good, nutritionally. Just giving them the junk that they clamor for from watching too much TV is going to keep them eating continually. It makes sense, if you think about it. When your children (or you for that matter) don’t get the nutrition necessary, their bodies are still craving those nutrients and will keep signaling that it’s time to eat—even after downing a bag of Doritos and drinking a whole liter of Pepsi. They might be temporarily full—but never satisfied because the body was never fed. See why good nutrition is so important?

So let’s get a grip on this summertime food issue. Not having a plan (as we well know!) is a recipe for disaster. You know how to make a grocery list—how about adding some of these items on your list this week?

Veggie Ranch. I think my son will eat anything with ranch dressing on it. It’s not my very favorite thing in the world nutritionally, but if you blend it up with some non-fat cottage, you’ve got a fairly decent dip. Add baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli flowerettes and even some cherry tomatoes and you have a veggie platter they’ll love. Keep your ready-to-go veggies (separated in big plastic zip-top bags) and dip (in a container) within easy reach and let that be your first answer when they ask. Remind your children to pour their dip into their own bowls—you just KNOW they’re going to double dip!

Favor Fruit. Summer is fruit season. Snip some grapes from the bunch and they have a great snack to go. A banana is a season-less fruit and easy to grab, too. Watermelon is perfect this time of year with the heat and everything—why not have it sliced up and cold in the fridge, ready to go? Ditto that idea with any melon. You might even make up a fruit salad of honeydew and cantaloupe. My troops love this treat and grab the plastic bowl and help themselves when it’s in the fridge. And don’t forget the perennial favorite: apple slices dipped in peanut butter.

Pop up. I am a huge fan of popcorn. Lots of roughage (like your grandma used to say) and a fun snack that won’t take major bites out of your budget, too. Use an air popper (way cheaper than the microwave kind and none of those nasty hydrogenated fats either) and add a teeny bit of butter. We also add a little grated romano cheese. My kids love this!

Nuts to you. I keep raw almonds in the fridge and will mix some almonds with dried apricots. Talk about your fiber count—yee haw! Plus the added bonus of all those nutrients. Great snack for kids and adults alike!

Cheese Whiz! Not that icky stuff you squirt out on a cracker. But string cheese and cheddar cubes, for starters. Skip American cheese—it’s cheese“product”. That should be enough to scare you away!

There you are-- five easy snacks and enough ammo to keep the whining at bay. At least for a week or so! Next week, there will be more, so clip these out, put them on the fridge and don’t forget to add this stuff to your grocery list!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5