Let’s face it, kids like junk food. Try as we may, it is the rare kid who readily prefers an apple to a pack of Doritos. I don’t like the idea of my kids eating this stuff, period, but I particularly don’t like it when I look at the information on these small packages. Do I really want my kids eating 230 calories of junk with no nutritional value at snack time? I don’t.
At the same time, I don’t want to be the parent who buys only “good for you” items and creates children who attack other people’s pantries when they get the opportunity. I’m teaching life skills in my house and I want my kids to learn how to make good choices.
Lately, I have taken a new strategy that seems to be working pretty well. I have created 100-calorie snack packs of a variety of foods. My kids always have the option of a piece of fruit, but on those days where they want “junk,” I have created it, only under my terms.
Junk food at my house consists of popcorn, pistachios, almonds, dried fruit, and whole-grain goldfish, with an occasional other item thrown in for variety. I buy large bags and immediately upon bringing them home, divide them into baggies of roughly 100 calories. For the most part, it is basic math. If a half cup of pistachios with shells is 180 calories, a quarter cup is 90. Throw in a couple extras and you have a 100-calorie snack pack. For some items, I count them out or weigh them to figure out what 100 calories looks like. Once you’ve done it a few times, it’s pretty easy to eyeball it for the baggies.
The good news is that I no longer micromanage snack time—my kids can choose what they want. The portions are the right size, so they are learning what a real snack looks like. Best of all, they haven’t asked about Doritos in a really long time.
