Overhauling our snacking

[llnmaw]

It's shameful:(

My kids are 4 & 5 and we have strayed far far away from what we used to snack on before my 5 yo got to a 'picky phase' and now I cannot get us back on track. The problem that he is still picky to some degree. He will eat a reasonable variety of foods for dinner but not a snack. Carrots for dinner? Fine. As a snack. Nope. Soup for dinner, good. Snack no. Rice for a snack? No way. It's like he has these little compartments for food and one must not stray from it!

What are we eating now? Processed carb stuff...crackers, pirates booty, bread, granola bars....I think you get it. We also eat home dried fruits, homemade bread, homemade yogurt and cheese, smoothies. In that past I was making all our crackers, granola bars/snacky cookies but still felt as though they are not what I want us to consider a snack - more of a treat.

I cannot seem to get them full... and I think it's a lack of good fat/protein. We eat fruit, but again they are asking for more food 15 minutes later. A hunk of cheese and 15 minutes later its the same thing.

What I need are some high protein snacks, can be portable (not always but it's a bonus). Snacks that we can grab eat are good. I don't mind making smoothies but not always feasible for what is going on. Sadly the list of what my guy won't eat is long. Off the top of my head here are a few of my top choices for snacks that he won't touch...so of course 4 yo won't either:

Hardboiled egg
hummus
nuts
cut up veggies (he will eat celery in a salad, PB on bread, but NO WAY will he eat PB on celery - mixed food is an issue!)
Yogurt is off and on.
Bread must be plain unless it is lunch

Quite frankly our lunch needs an overhaul for the same reason. "Lunch approved foods" are not high on my list of what I'd like them to eat day in and day out. I know it could be worse...but I also know it could be better. 98% of our meals are homemade components, but they still kinda suck. usually include a PB&J sandwich with homemade jam, homemade bread...but still it seems so lacking.

[kristandthekids]

Originally Posted by llnmaw 

I cannot get us back on track.

Yes you can.

If it's something you don't want them eating, don't buy it. Don't have it in the house.
Here are the snack options, eat them or don't. If he chooses to be 'hungry' over eating them, don't stress or beg or bribe or get upset. He will not waste away and starve to death in a house full of food. I promise you.

[Mere]

Ditto to exactly what the pp said.  I just had to add my support!  Buy and/or make healthy food and they will eat it.  I swear!

[Chicky2]

Yup.  They may whine, complain, nag, scream, throw fits, kick, etc., but eventually they will "cave" and eat it.  They absolutely will not starve completely before that happens.  Of course, the whining, complaining, nagging, etc. will need to be dealt with as a separate matter.

My youngest dd is currently at the table enjoying her bone broth w/ginger and garlic and onions.  Not bragging, just saying that she was offered a choice between that or a glass of goat milk and she chose the broth.  Otherwise she'd be without til next snack time (we eat alot of snacks because we believe in grazing).

Make your smoothies once a week and make them into popsicles.  Then they are portable and ready to go later.

No boiled eggs, but what about deviled?  I absolutely will cater to a certain number of preferences per child, such as one child doesn't care for plain boiled eggs, but LOVES deviled.  Whatever because we have aLOT of eggs to use up, lol.  Or what about egg salad?  Fried in butter?  Creamed on toast?  I currently have a bowl of creamed eggs and sausage in the fridge.  A piece of toast is easy and quick to do and reheating the gravy is easy. 

Another thing to do is put out a plate of all kinds of little healthy tidbits and walk away.  I put slices of bell peppers, cuke slices, cauliflower, carrots, garbanzo or black beans, cubes of cheese (or slice a cheese stick into rounds--esp. the 2 color ones), sugar snap peas, nuts, etc.  Just put it out where you KNOW he sees it and walk away.  You might be amazed at what happens.

[llnmaw]

Thanks guys... You are right, they won't starve. And you are also right that it is not that I cannot get us back on track, but more of a lazy/take the easy road thing.

Great ideas Chicky. Thank you! Smoothie popsicle are perfect for the upcoming season AND I look like a rock star in the process! ;-) Here...have a popsicle! Eggs are good fried and scrambled...but again only for breakfast:eyesroll

Maybe you guys can help get me moving in the right direction with some examples.

One thing I need is a food that can be left out overnight to eat as a snack in the morning. This is what started the slippery slope to bad snacking. What can I leave out at the table that they can munch on before I rise? Solving this dilemma will get the 'bagged' stuff outta the house once again. I was leaving a yogurt with fruit/honey in a jam jar in the fridge. This worked for a while. Not so much anymore. Maybe chunk up some cheese and put in a bowl in the fridge? We don't do tofu.

As an example: bone broth...everyone likes it, but it is not snack food according to my 5 yo. If this were you at your house and your kids don't want certain foods for snack time how do you handle it? They are hungry. I can't make them eat, but I will suffer the consequences for hungry kids! I hate making food an issue.. and it seems as though this is setting us up! Am I just being wimpy?? I don't have to get tough very often in our house.

What is your mantra for when your kids want something and it is not gonna happen. I have to say that we have somewhat naturally compliant/desire to please children. In the store they ask for something I don't even have to get creative and say something clever. I simply say, No or not today, maybe someday and it sits well with them. But when they are hungry and need to eat...gaahhh...it just seems like a bad situation.

It will pass? A couple of days of hell for the betterment of our eating health? Suck it up mama?

[kristandthekids]

Originally Posted by llnmaw 

As an example: bone broth...everyone likes it, but it is not snack food according to my 5 yo. If this were you at your house and your kids don't want certain foods for snack time how do you handle it?

In your 20-30-40 years on the planet you've learned more than a 5 year old has. And Mommy says this is fine for snack time. Eat it or don't.

I can't remember the last time we had a food meltdown in my house because this is the way I've always done it but I would handle it like I would any fit. If you feel the need to scream and cry, have at it. Sometimes I want to scream and cry too. But you're going to go do it alone, in the privacy of your own room, go get it out of your system and when you're ready to interact again come on out. And then you will have the same options, eat it or don't. Mommy won't make you eat it, you choose. But if you're 'hungry', then that was your choice. (Our kids really, really have no freaking clue what real hunger is. Even if they skip one meal.)

Once they know you actually mean what you say the fits stop.

[Chicky2]

Yup.  Really, this is the only way to accomplish what you are wanting to accomplish.

"You get what you get and don't throw a fit", except that in my house I always give 2 choices other than eat or don't eat.

I have too many kids to play this game with them.  Even if I didn't have the same amount of kids I have now, I would still be too busy w/x,y,or z to play that game.  I'd rather play Monopoly, lol.

Originally Posted by kristandthekids 

Originally Posted by llnmaw 

As an example: bone broth...everyone likes it, but it is not snack food according to my 5 yo. If this were you at your house and your kids don't want certain foods for snack time how do you handle it?

In your 20-30-40 years on the planet you've learned more than a 5 year old has. And Mommy says this is fine for snack time. Eat it or don't.

I can't remember the last time we had a food meltdown in my house because this is the way I've always done it but I would handle it like I would any fit. If you feel the need to scream and cry, have at it. Sometimes I want to scream and cry too. But you're going to go do it alone, in the privacy of your own room, go get it out of your system and when you're ready to interact again come on out. And then you will have the same options, eat it or don't. Mommy won't make you eat it, you choose. But if you're 'hungry', then that was your choice. (Our kids really, really have no freaking clue what real hunger is. Even if they skip one meal.)

Once they know you actually mean what you say the fits stop.