The Healthy Shelf

Children love to make independent choices, however their choices are not always (or usually) the healthiest. A good way to give your child some autonomy over his/her diet is to create a "Healthy Shelf". Take all of the healthy snacks from your kitchen and put them in a place that your child can get to. Then when your child is hungry, he/she can pick anything they would like from the available (healthy) choices. You can also make a "Healthy Shelf" in the refrigerator. Mine is filled with low fat yogurt, low fat cheese, fruit, and cut veggies. Another benefit is that you don't have to get up everytime your child is hungry (which in my house is all of the time!)