I don’t usually have “green light” and “red light” stop signs on my refrigerator drawers. It is also unusual for me to be this organized so early in the summer. However, so that we don’t go broke buying groceries AND so my kids are not 200 lbs. by the end of the summer I got on the ball right away. We have always adhered to the red light/green light snack rule. The kids know that a green light snack is a healthy snack that they are welcome to eat anytime. They also know that the red light snacks are the ones they have to ask me if they can eat…chips, candy, Little Debbie's. However, this summer I took our red light/green light concept a step further. I put all snacks (even ones that don’t necessarily have to be refrigerated) in the fridge so the kids can see ALL of their options in one place. I have also individually packaged some of the snacks into reasonable serving sizes for ease and convenience, but also for portion control. Yes, buying those little 100-calorie snack packs that so many of the food companies offer would have been much easier, but then we would only be preventing obesity and I would still be broke! The rule is this: They are allowed one red light snack and two green light snacks a day. That’s it! I know, stingy. They are also not allowed to take anything from the drawers after we eat supper. Most summer evening we indulge on ice cream, smoothies, or popcorn, so they really don’t have it that bad. We have only been at it for two days, but it has worked like a charm. They are not asking 100 times a day, “What can I have to eat.” They know, look in the fridge drawers!
This is the green light drawer: baby carrots, yogurt, pudding cups, almonds, cheese cubes and crackers, peanut butter (apples in the fruit bowl), cheese sticks.
Red light drawer: Chips, cheese balls, zebra cakes, granola bars (candy bars), cheese dip.
If you have any suggestions for other healthy snacks I would LOVE to hear about them. I am always game for some new ideas to try!
2 comments:
Great idea!
You gave me the stoplight idea last summer and it was really beneficial to all of us. We are doing it again this summer. Here is our spin:
I put stickers on the items as the groceries come in the house. I use those neon garage sale stickers (green, yellow, pink).
Our "rule" is 1 red light snack per day - red light snacks are the "junk" stuff (including, usually, things I bake!) and we too often end up having homemade ice cream or popsicles or popcorn in the evening, so I don't think that is unfair at all.
They can have 1 yellow light snack without asking and then 1 more with permission if they have had a green light snack first. Yellow light snacks are things like cheese, yogurt, edamame, dried fruits, hard-boiled eggs, lean meats - stuff that is generally healthy in moderation.
Green light snacks are allowed any time, except for one hour before dinner. They include fresh fruits and vegetables. I have hummus and ranch for vegetables to help make them more appealing. :) I have to be careful with fruits - the girls have been known to eat a whole entire bag of cherries in an afternoon because of the green light rule. All the kids also like frozen grapes and have done the same with those. But they have also learned, then, that when they're gone, they're gone, and they are stuck with carrot sticks or "boring apples" (I hear that often) until I replenish. :)
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