I Have Been WAY Overfeeding My Kids!

[jessrlee]

I have a diabetic SA kiddo that will be here full time this summer. I decided that since I am off today I would get a jump on next week and prep all of my fruit and veggies, snacks, etc. Of course because he is diabetic I need to pay special attention to serving sizes and carb counts so I bought a ton of baggies and snack sized cups. I want to embrace my new system because it will help me to keep track of costs, and inventory.

I have been SUPER lax about seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. lately and this really opened my eyes! I cut up 2 canteloup melons and got 30 1/2 cup servings! I have been giving an entire melon to just 6 kids! They have been eating over a cup of fruit each

I am truly shocked at myself. The up side is that I am headed out to get another 100 snack cups! The melon cups are costing me .07 each, DD is getting homemade snack cups from now on!

[dEHmom]

how long does the fruit last in the snack cups though? I've realized that certain ways of storing fruit, especially once cut up, and where in the fridge you store it makes a big difference on how long it will last. i'd hate to cup up a weeks worth of fruit for it to go back 2 days later, kwim?

is there a website regarding portion sizes? i always just feed till they are full.

[jessrlee]

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care/ProgramBasics/Meals/Meal_Patterns.htm

melon, watermelon, applesauce, all keep well. I will be experimenting and keep you up to date

[nannyde]

I usually feed kids about twice the minimum serving for lunch. Breakfast is the regular single serving size usually. That's what my crew needs.

I have one very thin kid who eats three times.

As long as they are good weighted and eat healthy... I wouldn't worry about it. If your kids are super high physical activity they are going to need more grub. Mine walk every day and have floor based play. They just burn more calories that way so they need more.

My kids main meal is lunch. We kind of do the old ways of lunch being your supper.

They don't eat as much for supper as they do for lunch. I like to get a days worth of nutrition in them every day so whatever they have at home is just gravy.....

[Lilbutterflie]

Nothing wrong with getting seconds, thirds, fourths as long as they have eaten all of the servings on their first plate. For example, a rule here is they have to finish everything on their plate if they want seconds of whatever their favorite is. That way you can be sure they are not just filling up on the cantaloupe... they've had the other food groups they need too!

[KEG123]

I always start with the minimum. Fruit is always the firs to go, so if they don't eat most of the main components, they don't get more fruit. Just so I know they aren't filling up on the fruit, and then neglecting their protein, or veggies.

[Meyou]

I do fairly large portions for my crew. They play hard and eat well as a result. We spend 4-5 hours a day outside and they're hungry!

[countrymom]

our problem is watermelon, omg the kids love it so much, even my own family and strawberries come in a close second. My ydd can eat a container of strawberries by herself, its crazy. Dcm buys black berries for her boys and they eat them like candy, she thought it was only her kids who do this.

[dEHmom]

our problem is watermelon, omg the kids love it so much, even my own family and strawberries come in a close second. My ydd can eat a container of strawberries by herself, its crazy. Dcm buys black berries for her boys and they eat them like candy, she thought it was only her kids who do this.

i was just introduced to blackberries. I have had some not so good ones and some much better ones. I don't think they are better tasting than strawberries, raspberries or melons (mmm canteloupe and honeydew, mmmm) but the kids sure like them. maybe cause they look so neat. I've been looking for a blackberry plant to plant in my garden, i've already got the strawberries, raspberries and grapes and blueberries. hoping to be self sufficient during summer months on fruit, because they are very pricey.

and i like the pink fruit dip they sell with the trays. I've learned how to make it, so it's yummilicious to eat the fruit instead of chips and dip in the evening.

[jessrlee]

Aww! I don't want anyone to think i'm going to starve my little kidletts. I am just shocked that a melon has 7 cups of fruit! I do think though that the cups will remind us all exactly how much we are eating.

We are outside for 2-3 hours in the AM and 2-3 hours in the PM so yes we burn the calories. My diabetic boy can only have one helping of seconds so to make it fair that is what I am going to limit everyone to.

[jessrlee]

i was just introduced to blackberries. I have had some not so good ones and some much better ones. I don't think they are better tasting than strawberries, raspberries or melons (mmm canteloupe and honeydew, mmmm) but the kids sure like them. maybe cause they look so neat. I've been looking for a blackberry plant to plant in my garden, i've already got the strawberries, raspberries and grapes and blueberries. hoping to be self sufficient during summer months on fruit, because they are very pricey.

and i like the pink fruit dip they sell with the trays. I've learned how to make it, so it's yummilicious to eat the fruit instead of chips and dip in the evening.

Cream cheese (the lowfat kind) and honey with just a dash of salt is dreamy on apple slices DD and I eat a lot of honey to help with our allergies so this dip or popcorn with honey and salt are my fave snacks!

[dEHmom]

Cream cheese (the lowfat kind) and honey with just a dash of salt is dreamy on apple slices DD and I eat a lot of honey to help with our allergies so this dip or popcorn with honey and salt are my fave snacks!

for myself i like the coolwhip mixed with raspberry yogurt. mmmm.....yum yum.... but i'm a sugar freak as I've previously mentioned.

on another note though, i've noticed the different between scooping with a baller the melon verses cutting it into pieces. i prefer to ball the melon now.

[jessrlee]

for myself i like the coolwhip mixed with raspberry yogurt. mmmm.....yum yum.... but i'm a sugar freak as I've previously mentioned.

on another note though, i've noticed the different between scooping with a baller the melon verses cutting it into pieces. i prefer to ball the melon now.

Isn't that more work? Cuz then you have to cut up the balls for choking.

[dEHmom]

Isn't that more work? Cuz then you have to cut up the balls for choking.

no, they are too large to fit in a childs mouth, so they bite them anyways. they don't come out in a perfect ball. it's sort of like an icecream scoop, kwim? sort of a curved strip?

it's much faster, at least i find, then cutting the canteloupe up.

[jessrlee]

Ah. I gotcha now. I just find it easier to peel and dice. I guess my melon baller is a puny little thing, because it makes them about the size of grapes.