We hear a lot of parents say to their kids, “I want you to have a Healthy Snack not junk”
As parents of three very active and busy kids it seems we are always on the go. From one hockey rink to the next. Junior CrossFit to friends houses. On weekends it starts early and seems to go late and on weekdays its the same thing. From school right to programs. I know we’re not the only ones. Becoming a pseudo uber driver for the kids and our friends kids seems to be par for the course for parents today. That also means prepping for the day. Kids activities are usually smack dab in the middle of dinner time. Or immediately after school. Weekends, if you’re not walking out of the house with a days worth of meals then chances are, you’re eating out. Another par for the course.
So how do we help our kids eat better. Because let’s be realistic. If your kids are like mine. Chicken fingers and fries are the staple meal out. As fitness trainers and wellness coaches we do what we can. But lets be honest. We’re not perfect. We run out of the house without meals prepped. We hit the restaurants for chicken fingers and fries. But what we do do is bring snacks. We make sure of it. The snacks are called, snacks. We hear a lot of parents say to their kids, “I want you to have a Healthy Snack not junk”. We’ve said that before as well. It wasn’t until we started hearing other parents say it. Then it dawned on us. If we are saying “healthy” snack then that means there is a choice for an unhealthy snack. But we don’t hear that. We hear Healthy Snack and Junk.
give most kids the choice between those unbelievably scrumptious homemade “Healthy” kale chips you made or goldfish, guess what?
We even hear it in our house. After lunch or dinner from the kids. “Dad, can I have a snack?’” My usual response other then, “didn’t you just eat dinner?” is no, but you can eat something healthy. When did the word snack become synonymous with junk food. As an adult, we don’t snack. Or at least we don’t use it in a sentence. If it’s not a meal we say, “I’m hungry, I’m going to eat an apple” or something along those lines. Coming back to my point though. We need to stop labelling snacks as heathy because really, give most kids the choice between those unbelievably scrumptious homemade “Healthy” kale chips you made or goldfish, guess what? 9 out of 10 kids will reach for the goldfish. The 10th kid probably just can’t reach because he or shes too short.
What we’re saying is, if you want your kids to eat healthy then stop labelling it healthy. We now tell our kids if they ask for a snack its going to be something that was grown. If they want something unhealthy or from out junk cabinet, then they ask for junk. Telling our kids that its time for a healthy snack tells sends out the wrong message. The other wrong message is those calories that say in big writing “100 CALORIES”. Your kids don’t need to count calories and you know what? Neither do you. Fruits and vegetables. EAT AS MANY AS YOU WANT!!! Now, before you start writing comments about too much sugar. If you are active and NOT eating processed junk food then no, you are not having too much sugar. We all need to start getting back to what matters. Thats our health. So start giving your kids and yourselves the right message.
No more “healthy” snacks and just give them snacks. When its time for junk food, call it that.