How often do you feed your children?
My parents did a LOT of things right - those are the things I most definitely want to mimic. One of those things was always making healthy snacks available. I could eat at any time of the day if I was hungry. My Mom always made sure that there were plenty of healthy snacks available around the house for those times. We had fruits, nuts, crackers - oh yes - and peanut butter! We never had sodas around and cookies and cake were special treats but ALWAYS home made.
I learned a lot from that growing up and it’s taught me some very healthy eating habits. And although my Mother always prepared healthy dinners, I’ve been able to learn even more about health and nutrition. It’s interesting that my children, 4 and almost 2, are naturally hungry and want something to eat about 6 times a day. Why do I find that interesting? Because every diet out there known to man preaches that you should be eating 6 small meals a day - and my children are just acting on their natural hunger. I won’t bother naming any of them because EVERY diet and diet book I’ve read makes that recommendation.
And I think that is critical to the success of our children - to teach them that food is simply energy - it’s not to be a controlled substance. But, I’m also considered “odd” by many of my friends because, you see, we don’t bring sugared foods into the house. Children don’t NEED sugar. What they need is a steady stream of healthy carbohydrates, protein, and the right fats to maintain their energy. When my children are older and able to fix their own snacks, I intend to give them free access to the kitchen pantries and refridgerator.