I grew up in a house that had no processed food or sugary treats and I can only say that once I was in college I devoured that stuff like it was going out of style and though I eventually came back to eating healthy, I definitely wished there was a balance when I was growing up. I do the same for my kids that a previous poster suggested: buy snacks once a week and if they eat them and they are gone, that's what happens. Having plenty of yummy alternatives washed and ready to eat out of the fridge helps.

We have tons of processed food. Goldfish, Cheeze Itz, crackers, granola bars, you name it!

Anonymous wrote:A couple years ago, this topic went viral and people started calling homes without snacks an “ingredients household.” I stick to a mix of ingredients and ready-to-go snacks mostly to save time & sanity, but also because a lot of kids who grow up in ingredients-only homes overindulge in all the things they were denied as kids once they move out.

My kids say we are an ingredients household, but we regularly have pretzels, granola bars, boxed cereal, chips on occasion. There’s always something just not what they want 🙄

Anonymous wrote:I try to take an “everything in moderation” approach, but my teens will almost always opt for Goldfish and other processed food if we have it. I’ve thought of not buying it, but I hate sending the message that anything is “bad.”

Why wouldn’t you want to send the message that a bad thing is bad?

Anonymous wrote:I have never meant anyone that has zero processed snacks in the house. I just don’t think that is realistic with busy kids in after school activities and such.

I buy pretzels, granola bars (we make our own too sometimes), triscuits, seaweed packs most regularly. Plus some chocolate almonds and sweet things on hand.

Of my social group, this is by far, the healthiest processed snack options at home. Most go to Costco and buy a ton of crap in bulk.

lol. I look forward to when your teenage athletes are burning 3000-4000 calories per day and you're tossing them some seaweed and chocolate almonds

you'll be pulling up to Costco like the rest of us

Anonymous wrote:I have never meant anyone that has zero processed snacks in the house. I just don’t think that is realistic with busy kids in after school activities and such.

I buy pretzels, granola bars (we make our own too sometimes), triscuits, seaweed packs most regularly. Plus some chocolate almonds and sweet things on hand.

Of my social group, this is by far, the healthiest processed snack options at home. Most go to Costco and buy a ton of crap in bulk.

Well aren’t you a peach.

Anonymous wrote:I try to take an “everything in moderation” approach, but my teens will almost always opt for Goldfish and other processed food if we have it. I’ve thought of not buying it, but I hate sending the message that anything is “bad.”

Yes, of course. We are a normal family, not freaks.

I have never meant anyone that has zero processed snacks in the house. I just don’t think that is realistic with busy kids in after school activities and such.

I buy pretzels, granola bars (we make our own too sometimes), triscuits, seaweed packs most regularly. Plus some chocolate almonds and sweet things on hand.

Of my social group, this is by far, the healthiest processed snack options at home. Most go to Costco and buy a ton of crap in bulk.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. And I take requests when I go to the store 😁

My kids are all normal weights (upper teens-adults) and don’t have food issues. Plus I like them too.

+1

I have two teen boy athletes, they eat a ton of healthy food, and I’m not going to introduce a restrictive mindset about food. We focus all food related health talks on getting enough fuel and nutrition, not restricting any foods as “bad”

Same here

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. And I take requests when I go to the store 😁

My kids are all normal weights (upper teens-adults) and don’t have food issues. Plus I like them too.

+1

I have two teen boy athletes, they eat a ton of healthy food, and I’m not going to introduce a restrictive mindset about food. We focus all food related health talks on getting enough fuel and nutrition, not restricting any foods as “bad”

+2

3 teens. We are not restrictive about food. All are athletes, and they regulate themselves pretty well. All healthy weights.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. And I take requests when I go to the store 😁

My kids are all normal weights (upper teens-adults) and don’t have food issues. Plus I like them too.

+1

I have two teen boy athletes, they eat a ton of healthy food, and I’m not going to introduce a restrictive mindset about food. We focus all food related health talks on getting enough fuel and nutrition, not restricting any foods as “bad”

Anonymous wrote:Yes of course.

I make minimally processed home cooked dinners most nights, but we have store-bought snacks and other grocery store products.

Same here. The bulk of the food in the house is not processed, and I always have fruit, baby carrots, other easy healthy snack items stocked. But yup, we have some processed food as well and if my kids want some, they can have it.

Anonymous wrote:Yes of course.

I make minimally processed home cooked dinners most nights, but we have store-bought snacks and other grocery store products.

+1. Store bought bread and crackers are “processed foods.” I cook healthy meals from scratch, but especially for on-the-go snacks, we buy things like granola bars, crackers, etc.

Yes. And I take requests when I go to the store 😁

My kids are all normal weights (upper teens-adults) and don’t have food issues. Plus I like them too.

Wow - guess I’m the outlier. Yes. Honey wheat pretzels, peanut M&Ms (though usually hidden), turkey jerky, granola bars, protein bars.