Now that my 7 year 3old son will be home for the holidays, I’m worried about how to manage his feeding. During school, we had set schedules and clear options, but now I’m not sure how to balance snacks, meals, and avoiding excess sugar. I want him to enjoy it, but also eat healthy. Any tips for keeping his diet balanced without overloading him with sweets during this time?
Omg yes, I feel you! I made the mistake of letting my son have too many holiday treats last year and he turned into a sugar-fueled monster haha. We had a whole week of ‘snack battles.’ I’m sticking to more fruit and veggies this year. Maybe try making some homemade granola bars? They’re sweet but not crazy, and they’ll fill him up!
Omg this is exactly what I’m struggling with right now. My 7 year old is on a holiday break too and it’s like every hour there’s a snack request. What’s a good balance? I feel like the healthy snacks go ignored and he just asks for cookies or chips. Anyone else have this issue?
It gets easier, I promise! One thing I’ve found is getting my kid involved in making meals. We bake healthy muffins or make homemade pizzas with tons of veggies on top and he loves it. If he helps prep it, he’s more excited to eat it. Hang in there, this holiday chaos is temporary and you’ve got this!
You could try batch cooking and freezing some healthy snacks that are quick to grab, like mini veggie muffins or homemade granola bars. I also use “healthy junk food” like baked chips or fruit leathers instead of regular chips and candy. My kid thinks they’re treats, but they have much less sugar. Plus, making it a fun thing (like “let’s bake our snacks together!”) helps get them excited about eating healthy!
Ugh it’s so hard during the holidays! The schedule is all over the place, and it’s like every event has a sugary snack or treat. I’m with you on the worry about sugar, it’s just so tempting. I try to make sure my kid gets veggies first before letting him snack on anything else but sometimes it’s just easier to give in.