Are your kids so hungry after sports practice that you end up responding to the 'food emergency' by heading for the drive-thru window at the nearest fast food joint?
The way to avoid feeding your kids trans fat, saturated fat, high sodium and artery-clogging food is to make sure to keep a basket of emergency snacks that your kids can munch on during the ride to or from practice, competition or even at home.
Here are some ideas
- Whole apples
- Pretzels
- Peanut butter to-go sizes
- Granola bars
- Trail mix (make your own for even more options!)
- Craisins/raisins
- Bottled water
- Animal crackers/graham crackers
It may not seem like some of these are “healthy” but keep in mind portion sizes and that will help. You can make portion size adjustments based on your child’s individual needs. An 8-year-old girl will not need the same portion as a 16-year-old boy! Also, remember that these are snacks, not meals.
And, while your deciding whether or not to get fast food on your way home, think about what you can make at home instead that is easy and healthy. It only takes a couple minutes to make the following
- Cheese quesadilla, cuties, microwaveable frozen veggies, glass of milk
- 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of toast with jelly or PB (or both!), glass of milk, banana
- Leftover chicken to make chicken tacos, microwaveable frozen veggies, glass of milk
- Leftovers in general