Terri's Tip Tuesday #5

As promised, Terri's suggestions for snack time & school lunch extras.

When my daughter began preschool, her teacher had a list of healthy snacks that each parent would bring to school on a rotating basis. When it was my turn I was asked to bring in Chex Mix. When I picked the bag up at the supermarket I was appalled by the ingredients. I stood in the aisle teetering back and forth about whether or not I should just buy them so that my daughter fits in or to choose something that did not contain ingredients known to cause cancer. In the end, I put them back and chose to deviate from the list.

So, what really is a healthy snack? Obviously the healthiest choices are made by God, not man. This means fruits, veggies, and wholesome fats and proteins (like gaucamole, nuts, almond butter, etc) But what about those of you who want your kids to feel a little more "normal". How about sending them off to school with junk food that isn't junk?

I recommend Annie's brand cookies and crackers. They don't contain any harmful chemicals. They have little "goldfish" crackers, except theyare shaped like bunnies. They have lots of other varieties as well. For an awesome "oreo cookie", check out Country Classics, theirs taste better than oreos. Even my husband agrees, without the chemicals. Lastly, try some smooshed fruit instead of those nasty chemical-laden fruit roll ups.

So, this week try to replace some of the yuckier snacks(chemical-wise) with healthier ones.
A rule of thumb: NEVER EVER buy anything with high fructose corn syrup. Also, avoid preservatives called BHA, BHT, propyl gallate, and TBHQ.

Happy and healthy shopping!

PS If they are too expensive, wait for a sale or reduce the portionsize. Remember, most foreign countries don't even have a translatable word for snack!

Next Tuesday Terri will be back to answer some questions regarding allergies. I've received a couple emails with questions for Terri. Keep them coming either in the comments or send me an email. Eventually I will run out of questions for her so send some more our way!