Goooood day parents I hope you have all been safe and well enjoying your day.
Being a parent always presents new problems everyday but none of it is actually new it is often just new to us, especially if it is your first child and as your children grow. Their growing also brings about new needs and new ways of dealing with issues.
While it is great to ask our parents for advice sometimes it is that same advice we can reflect on and build on because we experienced it and we know what worked well with us and what didn't.
One of the recent challenges I am faced with currently is food and getting my little ones to make informed healthy decisions or not over eating before dinner. Previously it was a lot easier because they would follow instructions but now that little miss is 5 she will go and help herself to the pantry. This often results in her eating ALOT and little bloke is not too far behind wanting something she has.
So I have started to try and make lunch packs for throughout the day and as today is Friday we are adding a little more refined sugar. We start with a ham sandwich for lunch which now I need to cut the crust off which is a new development. I will alternate between fair bread which is 100s and thousands as well as Nutella and Honey. Sometimes there will be leftovers such as Pasta which the kids quite enjoy.
In Australia we have these crackers called Salada, I am not sure how to explain them but as a kid I loved them. More so with just plain butter or margarine and if you squashed them hard together butter would come through the little holes and make butter worms!.
For snacks I try to avoid high salt high cholesterol potato chips and opt for VEGGIE Straws which are just as flavoursome and fun for the kids. They are this thin tubular type snack which the kids will play with and use as a straw for a few seconds before crumbling or whistle.
I am not all that boring and add in some sweets a small chocolate cupcake is always a fun thing to add to a kids lunch and helps with a sugar pick me up. I buy the smaller cupcakes because once again, if I have larger ones the kids will eat them until their tummies are sore!
Low carb high protein cookies! now these were something the kids stumbled on that I would buy for myself when I was training and felt like something sweet but without all the sugar and carbs.
It can also be hard to remain full especially for growing kids so I find a good whack of protein through some cookies is a good way to keep them fuller for longer and help them stay off the junk food and ready for dinner.
Of course not every days lunch looks like this and on weekends we often head out for an adventure so will break our set lunches. But I have recently introduced them because the kids have been uncontrollable in the pantry and have on two occasions now eaten an entire weeks supply of junk food in one sitting!
I don't want them developing a sweet tooth and only going after unhealthy foods so I hope to be able to provide some good guidance in the food they consume but not take away all their fun. After all, what's life without a bit of sugar?