Well Fed Network

Posted by Erika Waz on Kids Cuisine

School has been out here for, oh, two whole days now, and I’m already tired of hearing the cries of “I’m hungry” that seem to emanate from my children every other minute.  Their concerns over their digestive systems are usually followed by my tired litany of  “well, if you’d eaten your breakfast/lunch/dinner, you wouldn’t be so hungry.”  Except that the fact is that my children are constantly growing, and what seems like a substantial lunch may very well be, but it still doesn’t get them through the five hours until dinnertime rolls around.  Like any parent, I’ve been puzzling over a solution that makes everyone happy.  I want them to eat something healthy, and they want something convenient and portable that they can take with them as they run around the neighborhood.  At the same time, I also want something that I don’t mind them eating just one hour before dinner, when they’re so certain they are about to faint from hunger.

Enter the vegetable.  To be specific, vegetables that have been pre-cut and stored in the refrigerator.  Last week, I took cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, and broccoli and cut each one into pieces, and then put them individually into bags in the fridge.  These bags lined the bottom shelf like glistening jewels, and when the first cry of “I’m hungry” struck, I directed both children to the refrigerator, where I told them they could help themselves at any time to the vegetables they see there.  I also showed them where the dip and peanut butter were, in case they wanted them.  At first, they seemed disappointed, but as the weekend went on, both kids could be found choosing from the selection of vegetables, instead of whining about their impending starvation.  Whether it was late morning or early evening, the vegetables actually started to seem welcome.  I watched in amazement as a bag of carrots made it’s way outside, or a bag of cucumber slices found it’s home on the sofa with a good book.  I’ve actually had to replenish the vegetables already, and both kids have expressed interest in other varieties of veggie — specifically, we’ll be adding cauliflower and snap peas to next week’s offerings.

The best part of this solution is that we all win! I am not worrying at all about what my children are putting in their mouths, and they’re happily munching on their vegetables.  I really think the secret is that I put no restrictions on them.  At any time, they are allowed to reach in and help themselves- I could be putting dinner on the table, and I will permit them to snag a pepper or two.  At first, I was concerned about them eating so many vegetables that they wouldn’t want to eat their dinner, until I realized exactly what I was saying.  If an afternoon of vegetable munching meant less food disappearing off the dinner plate, I was going to be happy with that — it’s vegetables! Which we all could stand to eat more of.  Interestingly enough, the opposite has been happening, they’ve been eating more at dinner time.  They’ve also opted, for the most part, to eat their vegetables without dip, as the dip makes them a less convenient snack.  As summer goes on, I anticipate adding a few fruits as they come into season, but for the most part, it looks like this summer is shaping up to be a great one as far as the snack police goes.