That's Fit

Six-year-old Joey is having a friend over after school today. So I asked him this morning, "What would you like to have for a snack this afternoon?" I thought I might provide a special treat -- a healthy one -- for him to share with his new buddy. He tried for cookies. "Nope," I told him. "Why?" he asked. "Is it because I'll just keep eating and eating them?"

That's exactly why.

Joey knows no limits when it comes to junk food. He'll eat and eat and eat until I forcefully stop his madness. And if he isn't eating, he's begging for the sweet stuff. So we don't keep anything of the sort in our house. It's just so much easier that way. If it's not here, it's not here. He can't beg for it. He can't eat it.

Emptying our pantry of crappy snacks has done wonders for the healthy spirit in our family. And slowly, Joey is becoming happy with good, whole, nutritious food. So much so that once I denied his request for cookies, he suggested we have a fruit salad. It's our latest, greatest household snack, and it appears our new habit is catching on.

"We could have strawberries and watermelon and grapes," Joey shared with me as we drove to school. "We sure can," I happily replied.

Already, I can't wait to slice up our favorite fruits. I plan to put them in separate bowls so my gathering of boys can pick and choose and create their own unique salads. It makes me happy to know I'll be serving up something entirely healthy. It makes me even happier my kid came up with the idea.