Mom, I'm hungry. Mom…I am HUNGRY! Some days my youngest is a broken record. She is always hungry! I try to encourage healthy food choices by setting a good example, but that doesn't always sink in. Kids are notorious for wanting junk food. I like to indulge my children. I like to indulge myself too, but lets face it, having processed food in the house is setting yourself and your children for failure in the nutrition department. I hate to say it, but it's true. If it's in the cabinet and I am busy or pressed for time, I will grab it because junk food makes everyone happy in the moment. But in the end, it makes us crave more and it gets easier and easier to make the wrong choice. That downward spiral will effect everything from motivation, weight, emotions and bodily functions.
Trying to convince my 9 year old of all of this is hard! My solution, don't buy it! Keep it out of the house. We have a rule in our house, snacks must be clean. Our conversations normally go something like this:
"Mom, I am starving.""I want a snack. I so hungry. Can I have (imagine any sweet, sugar filled snack a child would suggest)?"
"No."
"What can I have? I am really hungry."
"Ok. Would you like me to cut up and apple? How about some carrots? I have peanut butter balls."
"Is there anything else? Pllllease?"
At this point, I simply say no. If you aren't not hungry for a, b or c, then you aren't that hungry. Sometimes she caves and eats the healthy choice and other times, she skips her snack. Either way, I feel like I did my part by having healthy choices and sticking to our rule. I try to ask myself this same question when I am hungry. What do I want to eat? Am I hungry or am I bored. If I am hungry, a healthy snack usually sounds like just what I need, when I am bored or "craving" something, I grab a glass and fill it with water and move on with my day. It's that simple. Try not to give up what your goal is for something that you want right now! In the end, you will always be happy you went with a healthy choice. Your body will feel better and it is motivating in conquering one more obstacle that day making you stronger for the next temptation!
Great post! I completely agree that it makes it so much easier to avoid temptation if you just don't bring it into the house. We don't drink soda so we don't buy it. My kiddos even order water when we are dining out because that is what their go to drink is at home. The bonus is the savings we have on our ticket at the end of the meal from not purchasing the sugary drinks while benefitting from hydrating our bodies properly. Do you have a recipe for those peanut butter balls?
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