How do you not eat your kids' snacks?

[Anonymous]

Hi,
I eat pretty healthfully- pretty much the Mediterranean diet (lots of veggies, whole grains, whole foods (not the diet) and we cook from scratch for most things. I work out 3-5x a week and walk a lot. I grew up in a house where my parents didn't buy a lot of snack foods and processed foods. So I would gorged myself of that kind of thing at my friends' houses. I don't want to raise my kids with that sort of mindset, and they are "good" eaters and eat everything.

My downfall is their carby snacks-- stuff that we send for school and keep for snacks, like Annie's cheddar bunnies, "veggie" chips, chips, etc. We also keep nuts and fruit around for snacks. I can't just eat a handful of cheddar bunnies, much like imost people can't just eat one piece of candy.

Until I reached my 40s, I felt like I could work off eating those snacks. Now, I feel like they go straight to my lower belly.

I think I am "abstainer" in Gretchen Rubin, but I don't want to restrict my kids. They are healthy/under weight and very active. They have healthy relationship with food/sweets.

[Anonymous]

How do I not eat it? I don’t really like them, so it is easy. But that isn’t really helpful for you.

For you, I would just buy what your kids will eat in a week and put in individual containers for them and know that if you eat it, they won’t have food. Or buy them stuff you don’t like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do I not eat it? I don’t really like them, so it is easy. But that isn’t really helpful for you.

For you, I would just buy what your kids will eat in a week and put in individual containers for them and know that if you eat it, they won’t have food. Or buy them stuff you don’t like.

Oh, that's a good idea! Thanks! Unfortunately, there are few chip or crackers that don't say "EAT ME". I crave salt and carbs they way people crave sugar, sometimes.

[Anonymous]

There are certain things I do not buy for my kids because I know I will eat it. There are tons of different snacks for kids. Only buy the resistible ones

[Anonymous]

Do you get individually wrapped snacks? I know it's not the most economical, but it may help to stop you at one small bag of it.

[Anonymous]

I send a treat in my kids lunch every day. I would buy the amount that was enough for the week and divide them into snack bags and put them in the freezer. That kept me, Dh and our DCs from eating them.

Over time we have moved away from that for green reasons (trying to use reusable containers for their lunches so did not have the ease of ziplock bags) but I have a drawer in our cupboard that is basically kid only food. Any special snack foods or treats go there.

Also, I would read or listen to podcast about the impact of scarcity thinking on eating.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel you and it's hard! I am 39 and pretty thin but am also finding that my stomach isn't as flat as it used to be. You have to just learn to control yourself and ration them. Make yourself a portion in a ziploc baggie, have the recommended serving size (let's say, 12 cheddar bunnies) and then nothing more.

[Anonymous]

I'm a sugar person. I find that the later in the day I start on the sugar, the less of it I eat. So, holding off until 4 pm is better than holding off until 12 pm.

I also buy the kids the things they like that appeal to me less. Things still call my name when I walk past that pantry, but it is slightly easier to resist.

Keeping reasonable amounts helps, too. If there's a 5 lb bag, there is obviously plenty for everyone. But if we just have enough for the week, then I have an easier time resisting it because I don't want to go to the store to buy more of it that week.

[Anonymous]

I just don’t start eating it, because if I start, I’ll eat it ALL.

For some things, like ice cream, I’ll buy flavors that the kids like that I don’t.

And sometimes, when I haven’t had a snacky food for a while, if I try it I realize it really doesn’t taste that good, and I don’t want it any more. But that doesn’t work with Cheez-its. Those just need to stay out of my house.

[Anonymous]

So my first thought (not serious but triggered on another forum on here) was that DoorDash could deliver your kids' lunches directly to school and you would never see their food.

More seriously, you have to start seeing the bigger picture. I think your goals for your kids' eating are better than what you grew up with but my guess is your mother had the same problem and that's why you had none in the house growing up.

So now you have to ask yourself, are you going to end up with another cycle of almost the same thing with your kids? Your kids are watching you chow down on their snacks.

They are going to think, mom won't let us have that many, just wait until we are buying our own. Your kids need to see you model good behavior.

Good luck. It's sooo much easier to say it than to do it.

[Anonymous]

And this is why my kids are not allowed to have mint oreos for their snacks.

[Anonymous]

Buy them in individual packages.

[Anonymous]

Did you ever have roomates? Did you have trouble not eating their food? Do you steal people’s lunches from the fridge at work?

I don’t eat my kids’ snacks because it’s not my food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And this is why my kids are not allowed to have mint oreos for their snacks.

And mine get mint oreos and mint milanos because my DH and I don't like mint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you ever have roomates? Did you have trouble not eating their food? Do you steal people’s lunches from the fridge at work?

I don’t eat my kids’ snacks because it’s not my food.

Such a bad analogy. Obviously you have enough to give your kids a snack also, you buy more, or you give your kids something else to eat. They don't go without a snack simply because you ate some cookies.