Family on a diet - Any suggestions on snacks?

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  • Storey621
    Storey621 Posts: 82 Member
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    How about celery and peanut butter?

    This is also good with peanut butter chips =) adds a little taste that kids'll love
  • jaxbeck
    jaxbeck Posts: 537 Member
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    I am ashamed to realize that my children really need to lose weight. Any suggestions on fun healthy snacks? My daughter loves fruit but my boy is a little more picky on it. Thanks.

    You've received some really good suggestions so far, what was listed is pretty much what we keep in the house for our kids. They don't need to lose weight but I like for them to eat healthy so they won't have issues in the future. We have a popcorn airpopper that they love. It's much healthier and we buy fun sprinkled toppings for them to each pick from. In addition to fruits & veggie sticks we keep string cheese, cheese cubes, yogurt, frozen yogurt in place of ice cream and nuts. If they like Hummus, try a hummus & cucumber pita. It's very good & filling! If they have never tried it don't assume they won't like it....3 out 4 of my kids ended up loving it!
  • chaika7
    chaika7 Posts: 2 Member
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    oatmeal crackers:)
  • callmeBAM
    callmeBAM Posts: 450 Member
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    NO to whoever said Microwave popcorn. That is unhealthy CRAP.

    Make your own popcorn. All you need is: popcorn kernels (duh), coconut oil, salt. I would recommend a Whirlypop (sp?). We have one and it makes the best popcorn. It's a stove-top hand crank design, so might be fun for the kids too!
  • callmeBAM
    callmeBAM Posts: 450 Member
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    Another idea, just came to me (divine intervention?), take a family outing to the farmer's market. At least where I live, each stand gives out free samples. Let them try stuff and see what they like, for free :) And you can buy it there and know it's good fresh local produce.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
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    Encourage them to go play games that require physical activity. I bet they'd love if they had their mom playing with them too! =]
  • Captain_Mal
    Captain_Mal Posts: 945 Member
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    Fruit
    baby carrots
    yogurt
    peanut butter smeared on some crackers
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    What are the ages of your kids? Younger kids need full fat foods, and some foods are choking hazards. Older kids can eat a wider variety of foods and their nutritional needs are different.

    Cheese and crackers
    Celery and peanut butter
    yogurt
    graham cracker and peanut butter
    cereal
    fruit
    veggies and hummus
    cottage cheese
    fruit smoothie
  • Linbo93
    Linbo93 Posts: 229 Member
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    If your kids are looking for a healthier alternative to ice cream, and something that they can have fun making, consider making chocolate covered banana's together! Its one of my absolute favorites, cheap and fun to make and can be stored in the freezer for quite some time!
  • MalyMal
    MalyMal Posts: 102 Member
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    Pinterest has really fun ideas althought the site itself can become very addicting LOL. I am not sure how old your kids are but Jessica Seinfield has a book out called Deceptively Delicious its got good idea and new takes on old recipes. Don't be ashamed life has a way of getting away on you but you are releizing it now which is FANTASTIC !!!!
  • arickim
    arickim Posts: 137
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    We have been making fruit salad. Apples, bananas, red grapes, marshmellows, and a few chocolate chips. Last night we got Blue Bunny frozen yogurt and m&ms and made Sonic Blasts. We eat tons of fruit in the summer.
  • sailorsiren13
    sailorsiren13 Posts: 460
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    we really just don't snack that much anymore except on weekends or special occasions such as movie night. but when we do we air pop our popcorn and don't buy chips anymore and we have a ton of fruit in the house we have trail mixes or granola bars. My little one is picky but he knows he has to have a fruit a day and he gets help pick the fruits that i buy. Grocery shopping has gotten a lot easier that way and he feels he is helping.
  • Lovely_Doll
    Lovely_Doll Posts: 72
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    You can always make sugar free jello. It's about 15 cals per serving, and my mother would always cut up fruit and put it in the jello when I was a kid.
  • beckyinma
    beckyinma Posts: 1,433 Member
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    My girl loves carrots and Laughing Cow Cheese wedges, or the cheese with triscuits.

    cheese, I buy the 8 and 16 oz blocks at the grocery store and cut them up into 1oz cubes then ziplock them so they are a great grab-n-go snack for all of us.

    Hummus and carrots, cucumbers, pepper strips,

    Hidden Valley makes an AMAZING light ranch dressing.

    reduced fat chips if they 'neeeeeed' chips,

    pickles

    ff or lower fat yogurt

    fruit

    prunes. sounds silly, but the sweetness is sometimes all one needs for a little satisfaction.

    Blue Diamond seasoned almonds



    Ok, just as important as WHAT they are eating for snacks is portion size. They need to realize, with your help, that they are capable (if they're old enough, my 9 year old is) of using a food scale, measuring cups and spoons. No snack is healthy in excess, so make sure they are measuring their own snacks so they start to get a feel for proper portion/serving sizes.
  • sashanicole88
    sashanicole88 Posts: 180 Member
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    I personally love carrots and hummus! That may not be kid-friendly haha, but think of some creative ways to make eating healthy more appealing.

    Make faces out of fruits and veggies! You can also use healthier varieties of dip. For example, instead of normal ranch that packs a huge punch in calories and other unhealthy ingredients, Bolthouse Farms makes a great yogurt ranch that is much better to snack with! & your kids won't be able to notice a difference :)

    Also, pair string cheese with some apple slices. Make small swaps. Instead of chips, replace those with another healthy crunchy substitute (any vegetable or fruit that they enjoy!). Instead of a huge triple chocolate chunk bowl of ice cream, use a moderate about of chocolate frozen yogurt. Moderation is SO important! Really pay attention to the portion sizes of things you are feeding your children. Instead of powered donuts in the morning, make a delicious, protein and fruit filled smoothie. It may take a few extra minutes, but the health of children is so important!!!

    Good luck! <3
  • bethieannie
    bethieannie Posts: 75 Member
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    Archer Farms real fruit strips. sold at target. They are little chewy strips of fruit, like a homemade fruit roll up. My kids love them and they are only 45 calories.
  • frogmommy
    frogmommy Posts: 151 Member
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    Kudos to you for helping your kids get healthy along with you!!

    If you cook/bake at all, google oatmeal-banana muffins. My kids are tall, lean and athletic teenagers, but I still make big batches of muffins (replacing oil/butter with applesauce, subbing half whole wheat flour and such) and put them in the freezer. They can get quick fuel that tastes like dessert, but they are filled with mostly healthy ingredients.

    Baked tortilla chips and salsa are a favorite, flavorful snack.

    Also, I get melons, berries and other fruit once or twice a week. I cut up the fruit and keep it in containers in the fridge so it is always handy.

    For quick side dishes with dinner, make a large batch of brown rice or quinoa, cool it and put it into the fridge. It can be jazzed up as necessary with spices, onions, chopped fruit or nuts as the week goes on. Much less sodium than pre-packaged side dishes. This works well for quick lunches, also ~ toss in some cooked legumes or bits of leftover fish/meat for a hearty lunch.

    I still try to keep the kids away from artificial sweeteners, so I am not a big fan of "sugar free" anything (frozen treats, pre-made jello/pudding). I do freeze juice as popsicles or sorbet, but typically only as a treat. I would rather them get the fiber from whole fruit. Frozen raspberries, bananas and grapes are a fun and easy alternative to other frozen treats.

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