I’m always looking for ways to make sure I have healthier things in the house for Hailey to eat. As a working single mother I’m not always home to make sure she makes good choices. The easiest way to make sure Hailey is eating things that are good for her when I’m not around is to make sure unhealthy items never make it into the house.
Packaged foods in general are rarely healthy, most contain too much salt, sugar or trans fats. Store bought cookies are high in calories and trans fats and loaded with sugar and preservatives. If you make your own cookies you can control the ingredients. Oatmeal cookies with added banana or cranberries can be a sweet treat with lots of fiber. Cookie dough freezes well so make a few batches and freeze them in snack sized portions. Thaw and bake, your kids will never want store bought cookies after having warm, homemade cookies on demand.
Sweetened cereals are packaged in bright colors with cartoon characters or animals on the front to entice our children. High fructose corn syrup is a heavily disputed ingredient right now and cereals are full of it.
The same goes for artificial juices, they are loaded with corn syrup. Water or milk is a better choice for most children.
Canned soups are full of sodium that our kids don’t need. You can find low sodium versions if you want a quick meal for the kids when you aren’t home. If you always buy the low sodium ones your children will not think there is anything missing and reach for the salt shaker.
White bread has absolutely nothing beneficial in it. If you purchase always buy wheat bread when your children are young they enjoy the health benefits and not get used to white bread. Making the switch from white to wheat bread can lower the risk of heart disease.
Fruit is always easy and if it’s available the kids will eat it. Peanut butter and bananas on whole wheat is nutritious and just sweet enough for most kids.
Making better choices at the store will allow your kids to make better food choices when you can’t supervise them.