November 11, 2007
Snacks versus Treats: Encouraging Healthy Habits
by Stacey Schifferdecker
Experts estimate that by the year 2010, almost 50 percent of children in North America will be overweight. We know why – kids gain weight for the same reasons adults gain weight: too much food and not enough exercise. And while we are probably all behind the drives to remove junk food and soda vending machines from our schools, are we similarly vigilant about the food in our homes?
Separate Snacks from Treats
A dietician once spoke at my children’s preschool and explained to us the very logical distinction she makes for her children between “snacks” and “treats.”
The traditional image of the post-school hour is children skipping home to enjoy a glass of cold milk and some fresh-from-the-oven cookies. The reality is, most of us moms spend our days working at a job, running errands, or volunteering at our kids’ schools. The kids don’t walk or skip home – we pick them up or they go to an after-care program. And unless you just enjoy baking, your kids may only have fresh-from-the-oven cookies after you buy frozen cookie dough from the latest school fundraiser. 
Remember when your baby began eating table foods? What joy it was to watch his reaction to each new food. He enjoyed some tastes, and he scrunched up his face at others. But put a food in front of him, and into his mouth it went.