My kids are eating way too much JUNK.

[CurtisBeers]

If you have an air-popped popcorn machine, that can make a very healthy inexpensive snack. Just buy a bag or jar of the kernels and pop. None of the preservatives like in the microwave kind.

[mnm'z]

^^ supposedly you can put popcorn kernels into a brown paper lunch sack and pop that into the micro and 'air' pop your corn. No oil's, butters, etc. I say supposedly because I've never tried this but have seen it several times on the Today Show or other health type show. I'm the one who balks at plain popcorn ~ I want the butter and salt. LOL!

Frozen grapes are delicious!

Oh, and an idea for the young kids who can eat you out of house and home... my sister's son could quite literally do that to her. The only way she could fill that boy up was to feed him some taters. She went through almost a 50# bag per week! She couldn't afford to feed him all the meat he wanted so it was taters. Do the math ~ almost 7# of taters a day... for 3 people. It worked fairly well, but he was still in the kitchen 2 hours later. But imagine if he didn't have all those taters? He grew to be a big man and he is surely not a fat man. He stands about 6'4" ish inches and I couldn't venture a guess on the weight, but I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley when he's angry, LOL!

Oh, and apples are a great 'afternoon' snack. They'll take away hunger pangs, but they don't ruin the appetite for dinner. I learned that on Dr Oz.

Oh, and for sandwhich's??? Use whole grain type breads. Regular white bread isn't filling. My 3 kids could finish a whole loaf of white bread for lunch but it was the cheaper Aldi stuff. If I had picked up the better, heavier type bread it would have filled them up much longer.

[Kelly126]

OH YEAH I learn that to on Dr Oz also he has great popcorn recipe that something like air popcorn that was cool I think he took recipe off the website they gearing up for season 4 right now on his website

[Coupon_Queen]

Yes I agree Mnmz. I thought I fed my kids pretty healthy, but when I overhauled our diets recently I discovered alot of things I considered healthy really weren't! Even most whole wheat breads have high fructose corn syrup. I started buying the organic whole grain breads. So much more filling. I also switched to the kasi whole grain waffles-yum! And also kashi or cascadian farms cereals. Their honey Os are waaay more filling than cheerios (although I still buy the regular cheerios here and there).

DH used to like eating croutons like chips. He would eat a whole bag and then I would have none for my salads! I would hide the bags in different places but sometimes he would still find them. lol. I don't buy croutons anymore though.

Popcorn is great, I buy the smart pop or something similar.

[Kristinemomof3]

Yes I agree Mnmz. I thought I fed my kids pretty healthy, but when I overhauled our diets recently I discovered alot of things I considered healthy really weren't! Even most whole wheat breads have high fructose corn syrup. I started buying the organic whole grain breads. So much more filling. I also switched to the kasi whole grain waffles-yum! And also kashi or cascadian farms cereals. Their honey Os are waaay more filling than cheerios (although I still buy the regular cheerios here and there).

DH used to like eating croutons like chips. He would eat a whole bag and then I would have none for my salads! I would hide the bags in different places but sometimes he would still find them. lol. I don't buy croutons anymore though.

Popcorn is great, I buy the smart pop or something similar.

Croutons are SO easy to make, you just need extra buns or bread, I'd use wheat cheap stuff for them. I don't make them often, but you just melt butter, add garlic & Italian season and then coat the bread cubes, bake in the oven. I'm sure if you did a search a recipe would come up.

[Coupon_Queen]

Yes I'd love to try that! A little bird told me you had a garlic roll recipe...I just got a bread machine and need it!

[mnm'z]

Hi Kristine... nice to see you

Something else that most parents think is a healthier type snack but is nothing of the sort is fruit snacks or roll-ups. Pure Sugar!!! My niece is diabetic and keeps some in her bag so when her sugar drops, she eats some of that to get her sugar back up to a normal level. My sister kept candy corns... Hmm....