It's confession time. I'm the mom that has coffee for breakfast, Dr. Pepper for lunch and then we eat dinner as a family. This lifestyle has it's advantages, one being that my pants fit great! However there is a few big disadvantages, the biggest being that I don't model healthy behavior for my children. This new year our family, like many other American families is taking advantage of the fresh start and trying to create a new healthy lifestyle for our family. First of all we try to exercise with our kids. It is so fun watching my little boys show me their leg lifts and push ups that they learned from daddy. As well as exercise we have started a new healthy eating plan. We eat a big full breakfast together. And the rest of the day, everyone eats when they are hungry. I am sure your thinking, how is this different from what we already do? Instead of me creating delicious full meals for lunch And dinner that my kids won't eat, producing the great food fight that anyone with toddlers has encountered. they get to chose anything they want from their basket in the fridge " the Monkey bin".
The basket is usually full of a wide variety of healthy options. And the options change everyday. They only get to have one of each snack per day (so they don't go crazy and eat 6 yogurts)
Items that can't be in the refrigerator or that need prepared are pictured and placed in the bin.
Our goal in creating the "monkey bin" is to eliminate the constant food fight, create healthy eating habits so they are eating tons of small meals and hopefully creating a lifestyle of healthy snacking.
Here are a few ideas to get you thinking about your own food bins
Fresh fruit
Fresh veggies
Chips and bean dip
Wheat thins and hummus
Greek yogurt
Nuts and trail mixes
Peanut butter filled pretzels
Cheese sticks
Granola bars
Pepperoni
Chicken breast cut into sticks for dipping
Whole wheat bagels with peanut butter
Cracker sandwiches ( cheese, meat, crackers)
Baked potatoes
Breakfast cookies
I'm sure you can thing of many more options for your picky eaters
