Always availables and the meal alternative, anyone?

[blessedathome]

I have a friend who allows her kids to eat fruit and or baby carrots all day long if they like. She refers to them as 'always availables'.

 

Another friend said PB&J is always permitted as a meal alternative in her house. If her kids don't like (or want) what is being served (at home only, not allowed when invited out) they are free to make their own PB&J and have that with milk instead.

 

Is there anything always available for constant snacking in your house?

How about meal alternatives?

[NanceXToo]

I don't allow "constant" snacking (or my kids wouldn't eat their meals) but they do get several snacks a day at generally set times and as much food as they want AT their meals. And since my kids are not picky eaters and generally eat pretty well, if they didn't like something or just weren't in the mood for something one day, I wouldn't force them to eat it, I would let them have a sandwich or something instead. They get to basically pick their own breakfasts, get a choice of a few lunch options, and so that would mainly be the case if they didn't like what I wanted to make for dinner.

[Mrs Mungo]

Sandwiches are meal alternatives for us too.

 

I don't limit snacking, my kids are tiny and have crazy-fast metabolisms. We usually have fruit, veggies, cheese, PB&J sandwiches, crackers, hummus, almond butter, granola bars, nuts, dried fruits, etc.

[May]

No meal alternatives but I always allow fruit or veggies.

[Mom2J112903]

J doesn't eat meals due to his GI system, so we always have available food for him. Usually yogurt or some sort of fruit sauce as we have to watch his fat and fiber intake *very* closely.

 

Sandwiches were always "if you do not like this, AFTER you try it, you can have one" when I was growing up.

 

I see nothing wrong with it.

[forty-two]

Fruits and veggies are always available at our house. As for dinner replacements, if they actually took a bite of whatever they don't want (so they *know* they don't like it ;)), I will generally substitute something else in the same food group (meat for meat, fruit for fruit, etc.) that is easily available (leftovers or something very easy to put together). Otherwise they can eat extra fruit/veggies or wait 'till the next meal - no other snacks 'till they've finished lunch/dinner.

 

ETA: We have set snack times, too - trail mix is mid-morning, and bread or sometimes crackers mid-afternoon once lunch is *finally* finished - dd4 usually eats lunch in two parts :giggle:.

Edited October 26, 2010 by forty-two

[eternalknot]

 

Is there anything always available for constant snacking in your house?

How about meal alternatives?

 

I tend to keep a fairly healthy pantry, so pretty much everything is always available. We bake a lot of goodies, and I try to limit those to one a day (muffins, breads, etc.) so they don't fill up on those alone but I don't care too much at what point during the day they choose to eat it (breakfast, snack, dessert). ETA: So far my kids are pretty good at moderating themselve WRT foods. My way works for us because of their natural inclinations, at this point.

 

I usually keep an open kitchen. If you don't like/want what I've prepared for dinner, that's fine. Help yourself to something/anything you'd like to prepare for yourself -- but by "prepare" I mean all associated tasks, including clean-up -- so long as it contains a reasonable serving (comparable to my meal) of proteins, veggies, and general nutrients.

 

The exception to the open kitchen rule is when someone else has prepared our food (visiting inlaws, or if we're guests at someone else's home). In that case, I think manners trump a picky palate :D and I follow the rule myself, having sucked up 13 years worth of icky inlaw meals!