the tray that changed my life.

Ok so the title of this post maybe sounds a little dramatic. I promise its not. Are your kids like mine? They ask for snacks all. day. long. they are always in my face in the kitchen when I'm trying to make dinner. They always want crackers or granola bars or cookies or candy or cereal or bread or anything else with a lot of refined sugar in it. and I WOULD GIVE IN AND GIVE IT TO THEM BECAUSE HELLO, GET OUT OF MY FACE. but seriously, giving them snacks like that usually hushed them up, and it quickly solved my problem. UNTIL dinner came around, and they didn't even touch it. BUT WHY AREN'T YOU EATING, YOU ASK FOR FOOD ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY. ok I'm getting dramatic, but again, it was a real life problem. My kids actually could live off bread alone if I let them. Anyway, I was talking to my friend Kathleen one day about this issue, and she heard this idea from a friend of hers and this is what has CHANGED MY LIFE:

Have a tray of fresh cut fruits and veggies out a few times a day when your kids are whining for a snack, especially while you're cooking dinner. Then if they DO get full, they're full from fruits and veggies! 

I know, it sounds SO SIMPLE, and it is, but then I thought ok I like the idea but how realistic is it that I'll cut up fruit and veggies and put them nicely on a snack tray for them EVERY DAY? For me, not that likely, so Kathleen and I did a quick (but thorough) amazon search for the perfect veggie tray/platter and we found this:

I typically keep celery, carrots, and cucumbers in there ready to go, I replenish those every 3 days or so,  and then quickly cut up an apple or orange when I put the tray out for the kids. I make ranch dressing to keep in the dip container and it lasts us for about a week. My kids like peanut butter with their apples and celery so I put a little bowl of that out as well. It has saved me so much time, and I really enjoy giving them snacks now because there is no limit for how much they eat. I find that I'm also eating more fruits and veggies because its out and its easy and quick. 

This particular tray is excellent because its not too big and it fits so nicely in my fridge, and I love that the dip container is separate. You can get it for less than $10 on amazon, and free shipping if you have prime. I've converted a lot of people to this idea and it makes me really happy. so enjoy and spread the word. 

xoxo, Shell