Christie Caggiani, RDN, LDN, CEDRD
Since all foods can be part of a balanced eating relationship, I tend to recommend buying full-sized bags of products (chips, crackers, cookies), rather than 100-calorie individual versions. Not only does this save you some money, it most importantly avoids all of the subtle messages that we give our kids by placing “calories” as part of a food decision. Have you ever had a 100-calorie bag of anything? Were you completely and utterly satisfied after finishing it? If you wanted another one, did you feel like you “shouldn’t”? In my experience, they leave us hanging, wishing we had more. There is nothing magical about that number “100”, except that it’s an effective marketing strategy. By focusing on the number, we have a much harder time listening to our tummies and the signals that tell us if we are still hungry or comfortably satisfied. Instead, present these foods on a plate or in a serving bowl, allowing kids to fill their own plate and gauge the food amounts to their hunger levels. For snacks you need to pack, keep some reusable snack containers on hand and make certain to include enough so that they can eat sufficiently. Happy Snacking!