Summer is here, and that means the kids are biking, swimming, playing video games . . . and grazing in the pantry. It has become a common sight to find one of them with their full body lodged inside the pantry doors searching for something to eat.
These warm, summer lazy days, they seem to have tunnel vision — ignoring the abundance of fruits and vegetables in the bin, and heading straight to the pantry in search of crackers, chips, chocolate . . .
Half of the time, I know they’re not really hungry. Instead, they’re probably bored, or tempted with the potential of something ‘exciting’ to eat.
During the school year, they’re held captive to what they’ve packed in their lunches that morning. Now, with no packed snack or lunch in hand, the pull of the pantry is overwhelming, and all rules seem to fly out the window. I often find them in early afternoon with their pajamas still on, and no breakfast in their bellies. Yet, their face is in the pantry searching for crackers, or whatnot.
That’s why it is time to implement a plan . . . one that inspires them to make healthier food choices throughout the day.
Here are my 3 principles for summer grazing management
* So that I can extend the life of my pantry offerings until next shopping day, I promote healthy eating, and snacking with a suggested list of foods available for the day. (*see downloadable below)
* To nurture the desire to snack on healthy offerings, I move certain items front and center in the fridge and the pantry. These may include yogurt, homemade granola, a nut mix (or gorp, ), hummus or bean dip, or dried fruit, for example.
* I want them to expand their lunch horizons, so that come school year, they’ll have more options for lunchtime. Use the summer to engage the kids in finding new and exciting lunch options that easily transfer to their lunchbox once school begins again.
*Click on through for our Healthy Snacking Printable
