Here is the list:
1. Chicken Nuggets/Tenders
2. Sugary Cereal
3. Lunch Meat & Hot Dogs
4. Juice and Juice-Flavored Drinks
5. French Fries
6. Chips
7. Fruit Leather
8. Pizza
9. Donuts
So, why are 6 of 9 a STAPLE of my children's diet? Yikes! I better get working!
Here are some alternatives:
1. Chicken Nuggets/Tenders: Grill chicken and cut it up, make fun shapes; can bread with cornflake crumbs dipped in egg whites
2. Sugary Cereal: low in sugar and high in fiber cereals; add raisins, fruit, etc. to make it more exciting
3. Lunch Meats/Hot Dogs: Watch Labels! Don't do Lunchables...not good for kids
4. Juice: Water
5. French Fries: Bake them in oven with a little olive oil (or Pam)...my kids like this
6. Chips: make your own healthy trail mix...this is fun for my kids; baked chips are good alternatives, too!
7. Fruit Leather: REAL fruit, freeze grapes
8. Donuts: JUST don't do it!!! (We have "donut day" every Saturday!...what are we going to do?)
9. Pizza: Make your own at home w/whole wheat bread base (english muffin, whole wheat tortilla, etc.) and less cheese (the kids like making their own!)
Wow! I have some work to do in my house! Jake's top food choices are all of the above (and not the healthy alternatives)!!! I think for our family, we are going to have to stop eating out! At home we do pretty well and use the alternatives. It is when we eat out we don't do well! Then, my kids get used to eating "junk" and they cry when I cook because their bodies crave the "junk" they've been eating. The healthy alternative doesn't taste as good to them. I better go to the grocery store!!!
I'd love some healthy, kid friendly meals! Any suggestions?
6 comments:
We'll talk!! I've been searching for healthy alternatives because Landen was such a poor eater. He is doing SO much better. Thanks for some great ideas!
It's funny how when our kids are tiny we order them things "they will like" then wonder why they make such poor food choices. It's that whole what was I thinking, after it's so far gone. I love fried chicken too and Mc Donalds, and pizza, chips and salsa...I need to go eat!
wow, i'm glad you posted this. i've been thinking a lot about what i've been feeding her and wondering if it's the right thing. we give lots of lunchmeat, hotdogs, fruit leathers. but to her credit she'll eat us out of the house if it were made of real fruit. ;-) we'll see if i can keep up with the grilled chicken alternative... it's not that i mind cooking so much as i HATE cleaning up afterwards. those heavy pots and pans!
Landen enjoys sweet potato fries...Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise, place on cookie sheet, brush with oil, bake at 350 until soft. A yummy alternative to french fries.
Ha!!! I think I was letting Audrey pick out Lunchables when I saw you last!! whoops :)
I though of something for the Donuts! Jessica Seinfield has a book called Deceptively Delicious and it has a recipe for whole wheat donuts that you make at home. My kids love her banana bread!
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