For all of us, healthy eating habits tend to disappear when we’re on holiday. So imagine what it’s like for preteens throughout the summer. During this sublime season of loafing, expect your kid’s appetite for Slurpees and Doritos to go through the roof, and that the local 7-Eleven will happily indulge these cravings, even if you won’t.

Kristina Magwood of Ottawa knows this all too well. Her 12-year-old daughter, Zola, picks Pogos and pop when she has spending money for a snack. But even at home, Kristina says, getting the apple of her eye to pick up a piece of fruit is tough. Over in Saskatoon, her sister-in-law, Jennifer Magwood, is experiencing something similar with her nine-year-old son. Andrew ““ a “picky eater” ““ wouldn’t mind trying an all-cookie-and-chocolate-bar diet.

Make it easy
Both of these moms know the grab-and-go appeal of junk food is a major selling feature for kids. To encourage healthy eating at home, they get a little creative. “Yogurt is a recurring theme in our house,” says Jennifer, a big fan of the calcium- and protein-rich food. She sticks yogurt tubes in the freezer as a cool and tasty alternative to store-bought Popsicles, which often have a lot of sugar. She also freezes chopped-up fruit dipped in yogurt for bite-sized snacks. Homemade smoothies with fruit, juice and (you guessed it) yogurt are a big hit with Andrew, too.

When Zola is craving a hearty snack, Kristina lets her heat up pita bread topped with tomato sauce and cheese in the toaster oven. “Beats the heck out of a lot of things you can buy,” Kristina says. Too true ““ a pizza pocket has similar ingredients, but is also loaded with sodium and fat, says Samara Felesky-Hunt, a registered dietitian in Calgary.

Keep it real
It’s best to avoid heavily processed foods and stock up on fresh, says Felesky-Hunt. Preteens who eat a lot of packaged foods, are “getting enough calories (or maybe too many), but still not meeting their nutrient needs.”

In terms of readily available snacks, Felesky-Hunt suggests having lots of sliced deli meats (lower-fat, reduced-sodium where possible), pickles and cheeses on hand for sandwiches. For another tasty, quick fix, she recommends flavoured cream cheese and bagels. As far as prepackaged items go, better bets are frozen bean and beef burritos, pretzels, baked potato chips or cereal bars (all low in calories and fat).

Encourage slim pickings
Just as it’s important to provide good foods at home, Felesky-Hunt says, it’s equally important to teach your kids to choose better items on their own. This can mean the difference between buying a chocolate milk at the corner store instead of a calorie- and caffeine-laden Starbucks Frappuccino.

And talk to your preteen about over-eating, too. Advise her to choose a smaller size versus a super-size, or suggest that she share her treat with a friend. “You can’t tell your children they can’t go to Starbucks with all of their friends,” says Felesky-Hunt. “But if they can pick the healthier choices, that can make the difference.”

SIZING UP SNACKS
Registered dietitian Samara Felesky-Hunt rates the goodies kids go for:

1. Chips (zero stars) Sky-high calories, sodium and trans fats.

2. Cookies (*) Indulge occasionally. No amount of raisins, oats or nuts can
make up for all the sugars and fats in these.

3. Pepperoni sticks (**) A good source of protein, but loaded with sodium, MSG and fats.

4. Kraft Dinner (***) The milk you add contains calcium and protein. Substitute the butter with low-fat, trans-fat-free margarine.

5. Cheese and crackers (****) Cheese is another protein- and calcium-rich food, but watch out for crackers that are high in sodium and trans fats. (Wasa Multi-Grain Crispbread and Kashi TLC Original 7 Grain are good choices.)