Last weekend each of my daughters had a sleepover on the same night. This meant that there were 6 kids in our home! The brood was comprised of two 4 year olds, two 7 year olds, and Shawn’s two, aged 10 and 12.

I always try to avoid foods that contain refined sugars, dyes, preservatives and other additives. But on nights like this, I make sure that dinner and dessert are as healthy (and delicious!) as possible to avoid any unnecessary yelling, screaming, and the most dreaded of all, meltdowns.

The morning after the sleepover, one of the Mothers and I started chatting about her goal to reduce sugar in her daughter’s diet this year. So we went through my pantry and fridge looking for ideas to get her started. Watch this vlog to find out my favourite three pantry items that were in my shopping cart today!

Most of my healthy eating ideas come from the experts. I started transitioning my pantry and fridge toward healthy alternatives in 2010 before I had kids, and more-so in 2012 which is when I started to drink cold-pressed juice every morning. Healthy eating is always an ongoing challenge, especially with a blended family of six!

Over the years, my daughters have grown up with a balance of what their nannies, day home and daycare providers have prepared for them, what they see in their friends’ lunch boxes at school, and what they eat at Mom and at Dad’s house. I’m a pretty big believer in everything in moderation and prefer to educate children about what they’re eating so they can make informed decisions for themselves. I’d also rather not be that Mom who refuses to give her kids any treats only for them to turn around and hide the yummy snacks they get from their friends!

Thanks for watching and checking back for more healthy ideas. Please share your ideas and fave pantry items with us below or on YouTube!

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