Monday, July 5, 2010
Jamie Crowe Part II
I remember not that long ago I would avoid grocery shopping with Logan. The result of shopping with him ended in anger and embarrassment from him throwing a tantrum about wanting the sugar filled cereal with a game on the back of it. He didn’t even know what kind of cereal it was he wanted; he just wanted it for the game.
While I was educating myself on how to eat healthier, I quickly realized that in order for me to get Logan to make better food choices I had to include him in the process.For us this starts at the grocery store.
So how can you make your shopping trips easier with school-aged children?
Here are some tips for you to try:
• Eat before shopping to avoid snacking in the store. There is nothing worse than a food crazed child! If it is in a flashy box, has bright colors or some silly character on the front…he wants it!
• Prepare an organized list before shopping.
• If at all possible, choose to shop at a time that the store is less crowded.
• Shop the perimeter- all veggies, fruits, meats and dairy products are located on the perimeter of every grocery store. There are some items you may need in the isles such as nuts, beans, grains and coffee, but a majority of your shopping should be done on the perimeter of the store. So skip every isle with sugary snacks that will tempt your child and you. A lot of grocery stores are set up to make you go through the whole store to get to dairy, bread and funny enough beer in NH. The things at the far end of the store are the most commonly bought! Way to go NH…☹ You have to pass the sweets in order to get some eggs!
• Ask them for help – ask your children to pick out some fruits and veggies your family needs. I find this to be the most important one for me, Logan loves to help pick out veggies, fruits, fish and meats and it helps occupy him. He then looks forward to eating some of the yummy snacks he helped pick out. Cheese and crackers, fruit, celery and some kind of dressing.
• Teach them – kids love to learn! If they happen to pick out something that is not good for them explain why instead of just saying it’s not healthy. Ben has a favorite one – “That has chemicals in it! You know the seats you sat on to get here in the car? Those are made out of chemicals too…would you eat that seat Bud?”
• 1 treat – let them pick out 1 “treat” or a “once in a while” snack every shopping trip. Don’t forget to pick one up for yourself!
These tips also apply to YOU…remember lead by example. If you want and expect them to eat healthy you must model healthy habits yourself. Integrating healthy choices into your children’s diet can be hard. Small changes can be big changes!
Here are 3 examples of things we changed:
1. Whole wheat bread to Ezekiel Bread (they have many choices to choose from and it tastes much more like bread should taste)
2. Trix yogurt to Greek yogurt (Chobani now makes flavors for kids). Yummy!
3. Instant oatmeal to Old Fashion Oatmeal – you can add so many different colors and flavors to it. Logan’s favorite is Oatmeal with brown sugar, blueberries and banana’s.
What are some methods you use to get through your grocery shopping?
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