Are you a salty or sweet person or, like me, a little of both? I was always a salt person until I got pregnant with Kenzy. I craved McDonald’s ice cream cones like crazy and ice cream in general. I liked ice cream before but never “had to have it” until I was pregnant. With Tyler, I craved everything salty, like Pringles and McDonald’s breakfast sandwiches. I did watch what I ate when I was pregnant, but when I got that craving, there was no stopping me because I wasn’t hungry very often. Especially when pregnant with Tyler. I lost thirty pounds in my first seven months of carrying him because I was so darn sick. I threw up so much each day that I lost count. Kenz wasn’t as bad, but I was still pretty sick in the mornings. Ty used to come rub my back as I got sick and say, “Mommy, are you OK?” That kid, who is now thirteen years old, fourteen in four more months, would do the same thing to this day.
How crazy that you can crave different things with different kids, then growing up, Ty was my salt man, and Kenz was my sugar queen. I love both. I am a sucker for homemade potato chips, Doritos, and sharp cheese. But I also love ice cream, cupcakes, and puddings. (It’s all in moderation, of course!)
My momma stopped in last week to drop off a box of Middleswarth chips and donuts for Ty’s weekend away with one of his best friends at a cabin. I told her to join us for breakfast. Chris was home, and the kids were off school. I told her it wouldn’t be anything fancy, but we would love to have her as the kids in the background said, “Yes, Gram! Please come eat breakfast with us!” She can’t say no to her grandbabies. I was going to have oatmeal with some fresh fruit and a one-hundred-calorie English Muffin. Momma said oatmeal sounded so good that she might have that too. I told her Kenz would probably have the same thing with us. I giggled and said, “Wait until you see the brown sugar she wants to put in. Mom, last week, she just kept dumping it in, and Chris and I had to stop her. Chris told her that she would have more brown sugar than oatmeal!” (This is why Momma typically does the brown sugar for her, but she “sweet” talks Daddy into letting her do it herself.)
Kenzy decided she wanted cream of wheat with Daddy that morning. So, we had a little of everything going on that morning, and meanwhile, Ty wanted eggs with ham. It was like a buffet. Everything was on the table. Kenzy sat next to Grammy as Chris set her cream of wheat in front of her while I was getting the toast finished up. I hear my mom say, “Oh honey, I think you have enough sugar in there.” When I got to the table, her cream of wheat was like the color of molasses! Kenzy had done it again. Her and her sugar! I don’t even know how she eats it like that. I do 2 tsp. in mine compared to her couple of tablespoons. *head smack*
This child and her sugar. Momma looked at her bowl, snickered, and said, “Kenz, you don’t want to get diabetes, honey.” Then Chris chimed in with, “Then you’ll need some testing strips!”
Kenzy, “Umm…What’s diabetes!?”
At nine years old, I didn’t know about diabetes either. I ate well-balanced meals and was very active. Kenzy is the same way. Eats tons of fruits, yogurts, and veggies but loves some dessert each day. There isn’t one night at the dinner table where she doesn’t ask what’s for dessert. She just loves sweets, and who can blame her? I just taught her that we have to do it in moderation and that we can’t eat a whole sleeve of Oreos in one day. I’ve learned over the years in my weight loss how to treat myself with lower calorie or (sometimes)some sugar-free treats. I love Yasso bars, Oreo thins, Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches, and Fairlife Chocolate Protein Shake, frozen like a slush, so it tastes like a Wendy’s frosty but with 30 grams of protein and way fewer calories. These are little tricks I’ve learned over time. This one is one of my favorites and is fast to throw together.
Three ingredients. Simple. Delicious. And less than 150 calories. Bada-bing bada-boom.
We don’t need to deprive ourselves; it’s learning how to accommodate it into our everyday lives.
Some days a little sugar-free puddin’ is exactly what I need to cure that sweet tooth. *wink*
Make it Your Way Guilt Free Pudding
• Jell-O Sugar Free Pudding (some are 40 calories and some are 60 calories, choose your favorite flavor.)
• Redi Whip (Any kid you wish)
• Oreo Thins (One, two, three or even four? At 35 calories a cookie, treat yourself!
Crumble them in the pudding or eat them whole. Is there any wrong way to eat an Oreo?)
