Right I just want to establish something right here. You can clearly see neither one of my kids are overweight in anyway, They both attend age appropriate swimming lessons, My daughter tends to walk with me when I go walking, we walk back from school most days (a mile walk) and my son terrorises my house on a frequent bases barely sitting for a moment. Which is good and healthy for his age, he's strong and able is like a little steamroller!
I've been on my diet a while now, so it was really no big surprise when the government comes out with their 'new guidelines' for children only having 2 snacks of under 100 each. (see
here). Those of us in the know of calories and their intake know this isn't a lot. Neither should it be on a frequent bases, these are very small children, they don't need as much because their smaller but they also need enough to fuel them, because lets face it, they use up a lot of energy.
So just how do we do it? Balance it right?
Its funny because weightwatchers brought out this article
Ripple Effect and I'm sure its similar in most couples, now my other half does not need to loose weight as such but he loves it when I make the meals and as such those meals are a lot lower in calories/smartpoints/better food! But I wouldn't say the biggest impact is on him. Its on these two.
This is one example though I have plenty of others, the other day I tried this recipe in my weight watchers cookbook and decided to have it at lunchtime, this is the time of day Yasmine eats her main meal of the day at school (school dinners) and so there's usually me and this little guy to cater for. With no one else home I put some aside for him and where it was very mild it was very tasty I didn't mix them together (he likes to see what he's eating) and all the way through "Ummm" sounds were heard. Sometimes we are inclined to think 'they don't like it' but this little man sees me eating and enjoy it, he'll do the same thing. He loves mushrooms and its because its on my breakfast plate. Sometimes I'll say to Yasmine 'I don't know if you'll like this' and then because she sees us enjoying it she 'likes' it and tries it for a little while. Funny story I bought some shredded wheat because no kids 'like' those right... big mistake now they are having them for breakfast with a little honey on top.
Now I've only ever had one rule with my kids and food and that is to try it. Even if you have had it before and you think you don't like it, try it again, at worse you still don't like it and you can leave it and she's not a huge fan of mushrooms nor Brussel Sprouts but will eat them (particularly when I've prepared them, I'm not a huge fan of these either but again I will eat them and try them other places but I know how to prepare them so I will eat them) Even 'hot and spicy' stuff she'll try, and this to me is all thats needed. I have friends who have completely stressed over their kids 'changing their minds' over the foods they like. But these little ones are changing and growing and developing all the time so are their taste buds! As well if we stress over food so will they.
Yasmine is getting to the age where she's aware of image and how she looks, because I go to weight watchers she said she wants to go when she's old enough I asked why (rather then jumping to the conclusion of her thinking she might be fat) and she said because she wanted to choose the right foods to keep her body healthy (Phew!) I said that was a good goal and I would try to teach her those things so maybe she wouldn't need weight watchers to remind her.
So what does 100 calories look like....
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| For ten grapes you have only used 37 calories! |
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| A babybel light is 43 calories for one |
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| A medium apple is 97 Calories (though I dare you to find a child who would eat a whole apple at once!) |
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| More likely to be one of these for 89 calories! |
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| one of these is 119 calories |
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| or you could bend the rules slightly for 102 calories |
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| 129 calories for 25g bag |
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| Joseph's favourite at 89 Cal per pot |
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| Per 15g bag is 79 Calories another family favourite |
Now we are far from perfect on the 100 calories thing, its really not a lot, but these are just a few ideas.
UPDATE: Yesterday I tried this for church, my two kids get really hungry on a Sunday where we do go to church (so I really can't blame them) so I did up a packed snack for them both.
Babybel light 43 Cal
10 grapes 37 Calories
Jacob's Baked Cheddar Cheese Biscuits x2 =40 cal
=120 Calories.
for a first attempt this wasn't bad! Also he does get snacks in nursery over lunch time (and I know that would be more grapes and banana's Sunday is a difficult day but it wouldn't stop me giving him this during the week because its 20 calories over the 100.
And this morning
Half a slice of bread (toasted) with homemade baked beans. (yes the weight watchers ones I do!) So I had to round it up as if he ate quarter of what I made of the beans and I know this isn't quarter because I had about half and there's what I had again so this isn't excast but this added up to 120 calories if he had a quarter of what I made, that being said I know this isn't so this is probably around the 100 calories mark. And I'm happy for him to have this as a snack (heck I'm happy if its a meal!)
I'll keep you updated with ideas for around 100 calories snacks!
Any other bright ones, in the comments!
So I didn't upload last week, I felt like I was just getting back into the swing of it then, poof its half term and the kids between them freaked me out!
