Discover the 4 Ds of Healthy Snacks

In Blog, Healthy Snacks, My Recipes, Resources by Shannon Cochran

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

You glance at the time. It’s getting late! Yet more To Do items than hours in the day remain. You figure you’ll try to do better tomorrow. But now it’s today and you don’t have time for another battle . . .

The drill: It’s just so easy to walk to the pantry. To find the nearest box and pull apart the plastic packaged seal. Meanwhile your famished child fetches his bowl. Yes, you both know the drill.

He’s ready the second you succeed at opening the Goldfish, Cheerios, Bunnies—the snack of the day. Waiting, he stares up at you, eyes eager-wide with hope that you’ll fill his bowl with a snack to soothe his grumbling tummy. Then he’ll be happy and you’ll be free to keep working. Every. Single. Day. The same.

“Here you go,” you say with a half-smile and sigh as your little boy bounds to the table to eat.

The debate: You proceed with your tasks while your mind replays scenes that cause you to second guess your skills at motherhood. Then your mind rehearses your heart’s desires:

  • I want to give my child more nutrition than what can be processed and packaged in a box.
  • I want to build and grow my son into a healthy person.
  • I want to teach my child how to read labels, understand serving size, and choose foods wisely.
Your reality is this: You’re busy. Your kid likes his snacks.
The boy is pretty picky!

The decision: Somewhere in-between the pantry and bedtime, you snap into this realization: You’re a mom who longs to grow. You want to become more remarkable–even in the way you serve food! You realize that nothing will ever change until you take a different pathway. Besides, YOU are “The Mom.”

YOU decide, resolve:

Get snacks from the fridge, not only the pantry.

You may need to buy fresh David-cherries-veggiesgroceries. But when your fridge is stocked with healthy choices, “Mommy, I’m hungry!” can be answered with a colorful plate of fruits, veggies, nuts, granola, yogurt or cheese as a snack, please!

Preparing fridge snacks will cost you 5-minutes instead of seconds. The benefits will outweigh the tiny investment of time it took you to wash a handful of fresh cherries and slice veggies. Offer healthy food selections to model healthy choices to your kiddies. Free yourself to believe—it’s OK not to buy Goldfish.

The drama: “I waaant Goldfish!” your boy mutters, wails, shouts, and pouts. He stomps away, mad.

“That’s OK, son. You don’t have to eat a snack today. I’ll leave out this rainbow tray, just in case. It’s yours to eat when you’re hungry.” Simply smile and walk away.

Shannon Cochran