The Summer of: “There is Nothing to Eat in This House!”

Maaaaaaaaa: The Meatloaf!!!”

The entire time I was writing this, I just kept hearing, “MOM, THE MEATLOAF!!!” A quote from one of my favs, Will Ferrell in Wedding Crashers! Every time my kids whine about being hungry or not having good snacks, the scene plays out in my head! 

Every June I think to myself, “I can’t wait to not pack a lunch…” Then I am snapped back in to the reality of the Summer Snacking, and what my grocery bill is going to look like for the next 2-3 months! 

I am prepared for it, but it’s impossible to stay on top of and inevitably I am going to hear “There is nothing to eat in this house!!” Or as my teen said yesterday “There’s only ingredients in this house!” 

Food is vital, in more ways than one! I think of food as almost a currency in my house. When my house is stocked and my kids are fed there is one less thing to complain about, that’s for sure! But, it’s deeper than just being fed, my kids see good snacks and a full fridge as a sign of respect. I see it as leverage. I need certain things done and I expect certain behaviors and they like to have access to the good stuff in the cabinets and the fridge- it’s like a silent nod between parents and teens. 

Food is my teenagers love language, gone are the days of cuddling and snuggling, long gone are the days of a “milky” and a show, to calm them down… enter the Snack Stage!  I buy what I know my kids like, because I know they will eat it! Nothing is worse than dropping $300 on groceries and having your family roll their eyes at their choices. 

This isn’t meant to be a post about nutrition, overall my family eats healthy, and enjoys fresh fruit and vegetables. I will save that for the experts, I just think good snacks go a long way! 

Here are some of the snacks my kids were jazzed about this week:

Lays Poppables

Skinny Pop- Original & White Cheddar

Chex Mix- Bold

Sun Chips- Mixed flavors 

Pop Corners

DOTS Original Pretzels

Shelled Pistachios

Junkless Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Chewy Smores granola bars

Liquid IV Hydration Packs

Tru Fru- My daughter’s absolute favorite!!

Drumstick Icecream Cones

Chipwiches

Good Deli Meat & Cheese

Good Breads for sandwiches

Poppi- Prebiotic Soda’s

Strawberry Lemonade

Flavored Soda Water

Peaches/plums/Strawberries/Raspberries

The Fixings for S’mores, just in case!

Nothing too crazy, just options, and things I know they will eat!  If your teen is giving you a hard time about food in the house, I would invite them along to the grocery store with you! Another option that I love, is doing a pickup at Walmart. I just order it on the app and drive up and they load it in my car- what could be easier! You can turn your phone over to them and have them add a few things they want added in to the rotation too! 

If you are worried about the boredom binge, I get that! I don’t like to “control” eating habits, that’s a note for another day. However, I think making sure they are pairing snacks with fruit and water will help them actually feel full. Staying active also helps with boredom, so motivating them to go do something can help them put the snacks down too!

Good Snacks tend to bring more friends, a blessing and a curse! We love having all the kids over and listening to their laughter and watching them interact, but it can do a number to our wallet. I try and have my kids bring snacks to share if they are going to a friend’s house, but I don’t always. I don’t think I would ever flat out ask people to bring snacks or drinks, but it’s a nice gesture, especially if your teen spends more time at friend’s house than at yours. 

It’s a two way street and you can task your kids with making the grocery list, washing the fruit, putting the drinks in the fridge, bringing in the groceries, putting the groceries away…. It’s amazing how motivated they are by good food! Who am I kidding, I am also motivated by good food!

I always used this tip with babysitters too, so if you are reading this and you don’t have teenagers yet, be the house the babysitters love to come to! I didn’t pay the most, but I had the best snacks and ice cream, always ice cream! 

We may not have to pack the lunches, but we do have to stock the cabinets and the fridge, the silent handshake between parents and their teens for a semi-successful summer.

Your Friend,

Caitlin


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The Summer of “Can I Have a Ride?”