RIght! Crisps, biscuits and cakes are banned from the house.

[OrmIrian]

Because whenever I buy them to go in lunchboxes they get snaffled and my older 2 DC are getting fat. They have good meals - balanced-ish and home-cooked but too much snacking on junk is causing havoc. So no more sandwiches and fruit in lunchboxes and no extras. I don't mind the off visit to the cake shop or the ice-cream van after school but nothing will be kept at home.

If they are hungry they can have cheese, ham, fruit, crackers, bread, I suspect they will find they are starving a lot less frequently than they have been.

How's that for a plan?

Good idea.

Doh! 'so more sandwiches' !

Thankyou colditz

good for you. we only have these things as a treat and therefore they remain a treat rather than every day foods. well done

Another well done here . I stopped buying that sort of thing regularly when DS was old enough to notice me eating them - so I can pretend to have demonstrate a healthy diet.

AH mayor - we started out that way but suffered from junk-creep Also DS#1 is 12 and always always hungry so sometimes it's easier to let him eat crisps and other stuff

It makes a big difference, I have had gestational diabetes for the last 9 weeks and obviously haven't been eating that kind of stuff so it hasn't been bought. Dp and I have lost loads of weight and the kids have barely noticed (although they still do have plenty of treats). I would like to keep it up after I give birth next week (after a minor chocolate fest ) but god knows if we will manage especially with christmas looming.

think of the money you'll save though! be strong...stamp on the junk-creep...

Sounds good!
However, I'd omit the cheese and ham from the allowed snack list - they are high in fat and salt - the fruit and carbs might be better, (and yogurts maybe, or dried fruits as well as fresh?)

ham is not high in fat, and bread and fruit alone will not satisfy a high appetite used to junk

Keep the ham and cheese IMO.

My ham is very high in fat - I like the white bit the best!

Oh MMM grosssssssss!

NORMAL ham isn't high in fat, the meat part. I picvk the fat off!

Normal pigs are high in fat though!

Isn't one supposed to eat everythong except the oink?

Gawd no! It's the carbs that make me fat so I am assuming it's the same for the kids. I am an old hand at low-carb diets. And fruit lovely as it might be does not fill you up for long unlike protein.

It's mainly the constant grazing that gets to me. On junk food full of salt, sugar and additives.

Well last night after dinner we got through:

1. 2 ciabatta rolls
2. cream crackers
3. About half a slab of cheese
4. Chorizo
5. Half a punnet of kiwi fruits, a lb of apples and some plums.
6. Several of mummy's 'posh' yoghurts

But no crisps!

Tell me it's worth it. I am going to be broke....

Just an idea but how about introducing 'supper' somewhere between dinner and bed. That way you can do something cheap and simple like porridge or soup. ATM it just sounds like you've replaced one form of junk with another (except the fruit, which is highly acidic).

Not sure about the 'junk' aspect of it. I agree there are quite a lot of calories in some of it but it isn't 'junk' ie not empty calories. And no, I don't have time to make soup or porridge in the evenings. I expect them to feed themselves after the main meal.

PS apologise for the snippiness! It wasn't meant to be but it seemed to come out that way

Bananas. Endless bananas.

agree with bananas.

also - endless rounds of toast. it is what most teens/pre-teens end up filling up on...

could you cook up large vats of soup at the wekend (doesn't take huge amounts of time) - can then be bulked out with potatoes/root veg - and then dc can help themselves in the week? just a couple of minutes in the microwave in a mug...

Currant buns (low fat),nuts, hard boiled egss (do loads and leave in fridge), nice with toast, malt loaf, healthy cereal (with skim milk).

peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

or mashed bananas on toast (can put under the grill for a couple of minutes unitl they turn golden if wanted, but may need adult input depending on how at ease your dc are in the kitchen).

slow release energy stuff.

silverfrog has shares in a banana co-op..

how about popcorn now and again?

The powers that be (MN) told me it's not too bad (for myself when I'm getting the snack urge that is)

Wahhh! Am a bit shocked at all the low-fat suggestions TBH. I don't do low-fat! So far it's worked OK for me. It all sounds too much like a standard low-cal diet. I was hoping that eating proper food with a decent chunk of protein would keep them full up. Instead of crisps/biscuits that don't fill up but have shed loads of salt/sugar/additives etc.

Sadly none of my DC much care for dried fruit

Popcorn is good but let's face it fairly boring 'naked'.

Shall do the eggs, and toast with honey etc. DS#1 hates bananas (and yoghurt)