'convenience' costs money
'convenience' costs the environment (boy am I sick of all those packets floating around the footpath and playground!)
'convenience' costs our kids - getting in the way of them developing healthy food habits for life
Take a quick look at the alternative!
Here are some examples: healthy lunch and morning tea for two children, one at school, and one at preschool (purple lunchbox). For a new entrant, packing lunch and morning tea separately makes things a bit less confusing! For the preschooler, morning tea is provided at pre-school, but often she doesn't eat stop to have it, so extra food is provided with the lunch sandwich roll.
Still need convincing? Lets break it down:
1. Cost
Here are a few simple comparisions to get you thinking
Yoguhrt.
Yoghurt mix, e.g. easiyo, costs approx $4.70 and makes 1 kg yoghurt makes 8 serves, so $0.60 each.
A six pack of yoghurt tubs (750g) costs an average of $4. So $0.66 each.
An extra saving: have you noticed that the average pot of yoghurt is too big for many kids, especially preschoolers. A lot gets thrown away, and an open youghurt container makes a big mess in the lunch box or bag.
Conclusion: Packing your own, in the right quantity for your child, in a resealable and reusable container saves waste and money.
Biscuits
A 10 pack of tiny teddies is $4.55, so $0.45 each for 25 grams.
No name tiny teddies are $1.90 for 200 grams, so that is $0.24 cents for 25 grams. That's almost half price!
Again, the savings may be more if your child doesn't eat a whole pack. You can add variety with different types of biscuits, and ensure the serving size is appropriate and healthy.
Crackers
'Shapes' 10 pack for $6.27, that is $0.63 for 25 grams
'Shapes 160gm box is $2.85, so that is $0.44 for 25 grams.
Raisins
18 little boxes of 14 grams each are $0.19 per box
A 250 gram pack, split into 14 gram serves work out at $0.13 per serve.
I could go on, but you can work out many examples yourself with a calculator.
2. Environment
It boils down to too much packaging. All those single packs come with plastic on the outside, and little plastic packs on the inside. It is not recyclable. It blows around like crazy and ends up in our water ways. It is bulky with a lot of air, so costs more in terms of transportation costs too.
Then there is waste, and the concept of wasting food. Simply put, when you pack your own food you can better control the serving size and match it to your child's need. And a reusable container is also resealable, so they can eat according to their needs and 'save some for later'.
3. Health
So many of those pre-packaged 'convenient' products are full of sugar and salt. They are poor dietry choices and they give our children a 'taste' for unhealthy food. Remember the ultimate 'convenience' food is fresh fruit!!! It comes in it's own individual servings and consumable or compost-able wrappers!
Crackers: If you take some time to compare the sodium levels of different crackers, you will find better choices that flavoured ones like 'Shapes'. CornThins in particular are great. If you get your child started with the healthier crackers at an early age, they will not desire the other ones. My kids detest flavoured crackers as their tastebuds are used to plainer options.
Muesli Bars: Oh boy, I could write so much on this topic. Suffice it to say that many of the muesli bars are less healthy than biscuits or cakes!!! So much fat and sugar. If they are low fat you can bet they are high sugar. The serving sizes cater for an adults needs. Many have too much sodium too. Healthier alternatives include: fresh fruit, nuts, dried fruit, corn thins, plain biscuits, breakfast cereal.
Serving Sizes: Some of those little packets of biscuits just have too many in them for one child. Sugar satiates quickly, leaving them with little appetite for healthy food that they need to ensure they get all the vitamins, minerals and energy they need for health.
Be encouraged!:
You don't have to turn into Martha Stewart and do home baking!
You don't have to eliminate treats. We buy little packets of stuff when on holiday and this keeps the kids from feeling deprived.
You are in charge. Just because a packet of biscuits or crackers or whatever is open, doesn't mean they will just disappear. If that is happening, think about your role as grown up in the house and make sure you are really in charge and not the kids! If your partner eats them all, then just buy ones he/she doesn't like!
Start early - right from first foods! Study those dietry panels and choose options with low sugar and sodium.
Don't get sucked in! Just because some products are marketed for kids doesn't mean it is suitable for them in any capacity other than a very occasional treat.
It does not take long to chuck some food into little containers or a divided lunch-box. I can do it in less than 5 minutes for two kids. Your kids health is worth it!
So get geared up, buy and name some little containers, or divided lunchboxes, and introduce your family to a healthier and more environmentally way of eating out!
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