Replacing the bad "food" day 2~ snacks

This should be the easiest but is where most of us drop the ball. First off if you have candy, chips, and snack cakes in the house you will eat them. If you do not have healthy options in your house to take with you you will buy candy, chips and snack cakes while out and about or you will stop off at your favorite local fast food place.
So this starts with preparation and eventually becomes habit. Snacks should be real food and should just be snacks. These are to keep you from starving so you don't overeat at meals and to give you a pick me up.
Also I would like to say that even if it is all natural and organic if it's junk food it's still junk food. Chocolate cookies with cream filling have no part in your regular diet. If you must have these as a occasional treat that is fine and by all means get the organic ones instead of the high fructose corn syrup in cookies clothes! These products have a place and I use them myself there are some good crackers and granola bars out there but these should not be for everyday use. Another common snack is fruit snacks. For the most part these have lots of stuff you don't want your kids eating even if it does say made with real fruit right on the front of the package. If you want your kids to have real fruit give them real fruit!!! There are some products out there though that are suitable occasionally. You can find fruit leather and fruit strips that are made with fruit and fruit juice and that's it. These still need to be occasional though as it's a lot of sugar and the real fruit will always be better!

Everyday snacks should be easy, tasty, and healthy.

Good examples of snacks are

almonds(or other nuts of choice)

Fresh fruit(frozen is great for hot days)

Small smoothie

Plain yogurt with a little fruit

Ants on a log (banana or celery with natural peanut butter and raisins on top)

Yogurt popsicles(easy to make just blend plain yogurt with fruit pop into popsicle tray and freeze)

Homemade popcorn(many methods paper bag in microwave, hot air popper or like we do old fashioned coconut oil in pan on the oven) we like to add dried cranberries and chopped almonds for something different

Veggies(think baby carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers etc my kids actually love frozen peas still frozen)

Homemade granola or granola bars

Brown rice cake with natural peanut butter(check those labels rice cake should only have whole grain brown rice and maybe salt if you need salted ones and peanut butter should say peanuts and that's it!)

There are so many options and a lot of them are portable if you have a small cooler and ice pack your options for taking things with you are almost limitless string cheese is always good and portable if you tolerate dairy, hummus and crackers, bananas were made to be portable, granola is easy to separate into individual bags, homemade pita chips, grapes. There really is no excuse for snacking on non food.

If there are things you just really love you do not have to give them up but some things you are better off saying goodbye to. Chocolate does not have to be a complete no but a snickers bar should be! Better option hand full of plain peanuts and a piece of good dark chocolate. Cake does not have to be a no but a whole box of little debbies should be! Instead bake your own cupcakes(not from a mix) and freeze them so you can portion it out and you'll find you don't even really have to have icing all the time but hey if it's your birthday have at it. Ice cream does not have to be a no but strawberry flavored ice cream product should be. Check those labels there should be very few ingredients on that list and this should be a special treat! I like Breyers myself!

I do not think you should deprive yourself that will not help you. I just want you to really think about how what you are eating is made and if it's not made in a manner that is honoring to your body ditch it and find a suitable alternative!

Also make sure you are drinking water and lots of it. I do not allow any other beverage in between meals except for water. Sometimes you feel hungry but you are really just thirsty! So drink up and happy snacking!

Remember you can do this! You and your family are worth it!!!