The Hip Mom's Guide to Snacking, Part 2

Aaaahhh, snack-time. When my children were toddlers, it seemed so easy: I ran the show. Twice a day, mid-morning and mid-afternoon, they went into the high chair & got some assortment of fruit and cheese, or maybe some yogurt. They ate what they wanted and we moved on with our day. They didn’t know anything different. And then came pre-school. My first son, Matthew, came home so excited, describing for me the awesome snack they’d had. “It was round, Mom, and kind of crunchy, but kind of soft in the middle. And it was orange.” Orange? After a few minutes of the guessing game, I discovered that, yes, that close-cousin of Cheetos--cheese balls--had entered my son’s world. Sadly, snack-time was changed forever. No longer excited by apples and cheddar, he craved oreos and goldfish. My sweet boy, who once dined on Earth’s Best organic baby food, was now a Frito-Lay fan. I admit that I vacillated for awhile. After all, no one wants to be the mom who never has “good” snacks, right? We don’t want the neighborhood kids running away when we offer broccoli and dip. I couldn’t go all the way to the junk-side, though, so I settled for a compromise. While the kids’ “official” snack might be kiwi and peaches, they’re likely to be served with a cookie on the side. - Kirsetin Morello