This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TruMoo Chocolate Milk for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Today I’m sharing a few of my favorite tips to keep kids from over indulging during the holidays,. As parents, most of the year we try to be diligent about what our kids eat. We let them enjoy sweet treats in moderation, then stick with healthy snacks and recipes the rest of the time. During the holiday season, though, it’s really easy to let the rules slide into oblivion. Between the cookies and cakes, candy cakes and holiday parties, sugary treats are pretty much lurking around every corner. These tips will help you let your kids enjoy all that the holiday has to offer without going totally overboard. Be sure to check out my favorite tip: offering yummy TruMoo Chocolate Milk to satisfy those sweet cravings!
Tips to Keep Kids from Over Indulging During the Holidays
Bake when they’re not home
Bake those dozens of cookies when your kids are at school. If your work schedule doesn’t allow that, send them off to a friend’s house or an outing with a family member for the day. Nothing tempts little hands and mouths more than a hot cookie out of the oven! Those “samples” from each batch can add up really fast. Trust me, I know!
Miniaturize their favorites
When you do bake those cookies and cakes, make miniature versions for your kids’ treats. Think about it this way: when we tell ourselves that we will have just one bite of something, we’re often left feeling unsatisfied and wanting more. But if we can have just one whole cookie, we feel like we’ve indulged. The same goes for kids. If you give them a whole cookie rather than just a piece of one, they’ll feel like they got a good treat. But you don’t want to hand over a giant gingerbread man for them to munch on! Make a few smaller guys and keep them aside for treats.
Satisfy their cravings with TruMoo
When Jacob wants something chocolaty, I offer him chocolate TruMoo first. It’s his favorite thing to drink year-round and usually does the trick. During the holidays, try it hot to make it even more of a treat! Believe me, it tastes just as delicious hot as it does cold! It’s made with real milk and just the right amount of chocolate to satisfy your child’s sweet tooth.
Eat Before You Party
Oh, holiday parties, you are the bane of my existence! My son is SUPER picky and has some issues eating actual meals around strangers, so he’ll rarely touch a single healthy food at holiday parties. For some reason, his anxiety doesn’t apply to dessert foods! I absolutely have to feed Jacob before we go to any sort of event. Since he’s typically full, he doesn’t linger around the dessert table as much.
Bring backup
Speaking of lingering around the dessert table, a bored child is a hungry child. Hungry for sweets, usually. If you know you’re going to an event where there won’t be other kids your child’s age, ask if you can bring a friend for him. As a mom of an only child, I really don’t take Jake anywhere if I don’t think there will be company for him. I want him to have fun too! When your kids are engaged in playing and having fun, they’re not going to circle the cookie platter like little sharks.
Give them the coffee house treatment
Want to make kids feel like they’re really indulging? Treat them to a “latte.” Coffee-free, of course. All you need to do is froth the TruMoo Chocolate Milk and it instantly feels more like a decadent coffee-shop beverage to kids. Use the frother on your espresso machine. If you don’t have one of those (I’m a serious coffee fanatic, so of course I do), you can get the same result by heating up the milk in a small sauce pan and using a wire whisk to froth the top. Stir it with a candy cane to add a hint of mint if you want. Little extras like this make them feel like they’re indulging, when really they’re just enjoying their everyday glass of TruMoo! You can feel good about that because they’re getting calcium and vitamins without growth hormones.
These are just a few easy ways to keep kids from over indulging during the holidays. The main thing to remember is to practice moderation. I don’t deprive Jake, I just make sure he’s filled up on good stuff before we get to the dessert round. TruMoo is a big part of that “good stuff,” since he loves it so much.
Don’t forget to Try it Hot! It really does warm you up on a cold winter’s day! Check out TruMoo on Facebook to keep up with all their news, including updates on their seasonal flavors! Need more inspiration on ways to incorporate hot TruMoo into your winter activities? Follow Try it Hot with TruMoo on Pinterest!
Oh I remember how much candy I use to ate during the holidays! My sister and I used to get completely overdosed with sugar!
This is something that I actually did not think about but it is a great topic. It is not only important for the adults not to over indulge but it is important for the kids not to also. I love the idea of TruMoo for the children and it is a great idea for the adults too. Thanks for sharing.
Man, I still have not tried TruMoo yet, and now I want to try it hot. I try to keep busy so that I don’t overindulge during the holidays.
These are definitely some great ideas for keeping kids from over indulging during the holidays! Now to keep the adults from over indulging! Thanks for sharing!
I’m the one that’s more likely to overindulge during the holiday with all the sweets. These are great ideas for all of us!
My son doesn’t like sweets all that much so I don’t have to worry about him overindulging, but he does love chocolate milk and we always buy TruMoo so he doesn’t get all the bad stuff.
My son love white chocolate but my daughter love this Trumoo choc milk.
My little guy loves, loves, loves chocolate milk. We haven’t tried it hot, though. I bet it tastes delicious!
My kids all know everything in moderation. Sometimes they need reminding over the holidays but I’m not too worried. I wish we did have TruMoo here in Canada though, it looks great!
My son loves TruMoo milk with his snacks. I love the taste of it, it goes so great with cookies.
These are great tips. I know my kids have a tendency to over indulge on treats this time of year. I make sure they eat meals instead of snacking too.
It seems like kids and adults have this problem during the holiday season but kids just don’t know when to quit. I love these tips to prevent those belly aches!
TruMoo is so delicious. My kids love the chocolate milk. These are great tips for not over indulging during the holidays.
These are not just good tips for kids. They are good tips for all ages. You mention how when your child is busy playing with others they are less likely to eat more. I use that tip as well. The busier I keep myself the less likely I am to go into the kitchen just because I feel like snacking. Makes a big difference.
I have heard really good things about True Moo!! I bet it tastes just as good as it looks!
I agree with this all the way, I have to make sure they have a limit on the sweets so they don’t get a stomach ache or get sick. This is a great problem solver. Thanks!
I agree that if we aren’t careful, our children might eat too much food. This can be a good solution.
My kids love true moo chocolate milk! We have it in our fridge all the time. I agree with you – I always eat something before a party so I dot’ go crazy on stuff
I’m liking your ideas! We’re going to have to try making some cute faux-lattes with TruMoo!
LOL. I had to laugh at this because it’s focused on kids, but it’s all about me.
These are great tips. I could use them myself. I”m not exactly known for my moderation around the holidays.
This is a great idea! My kiddo in one day had 2 candy canes and candy from his count down. I didn’t know this until after! LOL
It is hard not to have just a little too much, but we definitely try. Thanks for the tips.
My tips pretty much match yours but I will make a “latte” for my daughter who is in love with chocolate milk!