Snacks For 15 Kids! | What Will They Choose? 

Hey Crystal! Just a suggestion, look into “intuitive eating”. Sometimes the approach you show here creates a hyper focus on nutrition labels and can lead to disordered eating. Food doesn’t have morality. Nothing is “good” or “bad”. The goal of intuitive eating is to nourish your body. Again just a suggestion.

Definitely good to be looking at nutrition in your food, but keep in mind there is much more to it than calories, sodium, and sugar! The Dave’s killer bread is actually a great choice for a lot of people - the fiber, protein, and whole grain content results in your body processing it a lot differently than a basic white bread! It will keep you fuller longer rather than turning right to sugar and giving you a spike in energy before crashing down.

Hey Crystal, also a reminder to read the ingredients not just the calories, fat, sodium, etc. it is important to eliminate MSGs, yeast extract, seed oils, and any ingredients you don’t know the name of! Also artificial dies are terrible. Found in takis, Gatorade, etc. Also pay attention to the added sugar, vs. total sugar. Natural sugars are way healthier. Maybe try shopping at Trader Joe’s for snacks! Affordable and better ingredients typically. Love you guys.

Make sure when you’re comparing the nutritional values that they’re using the same quantity. Sometimes they’ll say per 20 chips and another will say per 1 cup Just a tip I learned from measuring my carbs as a type 1 diabetic ❤

I appreciate you learning and teaching about nutritional content. Even though I think of food as being neutral, not good or bad, but just fuel, recognizing what ingredients fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly is important. As far as beverages, there is nothing in Gatorade or Prime that your kids need. Elite athletes or people who do manual labor may need more than water, but the majority of people leading typical lifestyles don't need the electrolytes or calories. Water is best! You can get all natural flavorings to transition away from flavored drinks

Maybe the snack closet needs a mini fridge! Snacks (especially the healthier and less processed ones, which are more likely to need to be kept cold) take up so much room in the fridge. So it would help with that and it puts all the snacks in one place. Another idea (that would obviously be a bigger project) may be to install one of the salad bar type things, like Not Enough Nelson's have. Such a fun, smart thing to do with a large family! 😊❤️

I love that you're trying to get the kids to eat healthier and make better choices. :) Please keep in mind that while Prime seems better, it also contains sucralose (Splenda), an artificial sweetener. There is mounting evidence of just how unhealthy sucralose and aspartame are for us. I've switched to stevia which is all natural. I dealt with migraines for years, and after hearing the side effects of these sweeteners, I gave them up and my migraines were cut in half and my body aches went away. (They can also affect gut flora; that made me think of Hanna.) Please google it. You all are awesome and I want you hanging around for a long time to come! :)

It’s also important to think about portion size! The nutrient labels may be similar but the serving size may be completely different. This may help kids and adults stay full so that they aren’t always hungry.

Funny story…as a 50 yr old, I grew up on white bread but I prefer wheat. So I switched to wheat. My kids only ever had the wheat or the honey wheat. However, we would grab a loaf of white bread to feed the ducks at the park (I know now it isn’t healthy for the ducks either). So, the kids spent the weekend at my mom’s house when they were little. They came home and said, “Nana feed us DUCK bread!” Lol

Jake! They should try broccoli and cauliflower heavily drizzled with olive oil and add salt and pepper baked at 425 for 30-35 mins! Sooo yummy!!! I’m not a fan or raw unbaked veggies but I love this!! 🥦 🥦 🥦 🥦 🥦 🥦

I buy what is healthy no matter if the kids like it or not. At the end when they want to eat they will eat what’s available in the house. And for the oldest if they want transformed/unhealthy snacks they can go buy them 😅 Transformed food/snacks should not be considered healthy 😊 You can say its a better choice, but a fruit, veggies is the way to go! Transformed frozen food are never healthy (the more ingredients we see on labels the more it’s questionable) I know its a touchy subject! We all do our best! And sometimes a snack in a box is fun! People often read the nutritional label but forget to look at the ingredients list! 😊

You gotta try the HOT veggie straws for the kids who like hot fries it’s a healthier alternative and they are pretty tasty if you like spicy

I like the heal of bread toasted with peanut butter and a lil honey drizzle! You can always make bread at home! It’s a lot cheaper and extremely more healthy 🤷🏻‍♀️ processed foods are not good for you.

Have the kids try Garden Salsa flavored sun chips they have a bite. But choosing snacks really is putting the healthier in the house and just make sure you have your crunchy and salty in a different way just healthier. The unhealthier you can have in moderation occasionally as a treat, it's not like you have to immediately cut everything out. Try cooking your broccoli in some ranch seasoning, the boys would love it.

I am so glad you are doing this and showing this to the kids. Don't focus so much on all the labels but make them aware of how to read the label. I too fear children can go into kids becoming obsessed with body dismorphia as young as 8. I know the kids buy snacks as gifts for each other and that's great so I believe your kids are all healthy and so loved by such amazing parents. This was a great video.

Maybe you can make a video on how Bella has dealt with her eating issues , how you guys have supported her as parents and how her siblings have helped her

As a person familiar with diabetes, carbohydrates are sugars also so when counting sugars that affects blood glucose levels you go by carbohydrates, not by sugars. At leastbin Australia 🇦🇺

Daves killer bread is the best!!! It tastes great and is healthy. Also don't forget to check serving size. That makes a big difference.

Freeze your grapes for a fantastic frozen snack!!! 🤗🤗🤗

maybe instead of always buying the junk food. Only buy it as a special treat. The kids will get use to eating the other snacks.

Hey, I've seen some other people talking about this but I thought I would give my input too.I wouldn't say that you're not going to buy something ever again. Eventually the kids are going to be out of the house and buying their own snacks. in fact I"m sure the teens can already do so, if a child is NEVER allowed to have something that they're craving than they're more likely to go over board on whatever it is . Maybe you can suggest/encourage them to make healthier options with their less healthier favorites. Example maybe the apple sauce with takis and some water or something like that. It's all about balance and moderation.

Sam's Club is selling Prime for 19.95 a case of 15 ($1.33 a bottle). Best deal around. Comes with a mix of red, blue and green bottles.

The heel part of the bread loaf is the best, espwcially when toasted

My mum always said, "If it's not in the house, they can't eat it", "If you're hungry, have a piece of fruit" and "If they get hungry enough, they'll eat what's there". Of course, it doesn't always work, and your kids, especially the older ones have their own money and means. There were 5 of us, but there were nowhere near the number of treats available in the shops then. Once a fortnight, Mum would bake. We'd come home from school, and the table would be laden with baked goods. Treats were restricted, even when she did buy them. We had to ask first, too. (I know having food always available is important for your kids). There were treats called "Zacs", much like today's Timtams, but they were individually wrapped. We had one every Sunday after dinner while we watched Disneyland. Btw-milk is better than water for cooling your mouth from hot spices. We never buy juice, it's so expensive and unnecessary. You're better off drinking after, and not drinking the juice. Or, juice your own fruit. Be careful of dried fruit, it has an extra high sugar content. Kids will push back, but they'll get used to it after a few weeks of grumbling. Good luck with your NY's eating plan. It's great that you're teaching your kids, too, as they need to make their own wise choices as they get older. 🥜They don't choose the mixed nuts, cos there are things they like better. 😉

Good morning Crazy Pieces Family, so fun fact, what you call "the heel", we call "the crust" here in NZ and oh my gosh, I think nearly every child in NZ won't eat the crust, lol, I usually use it for a toasty sandwich for my boys. Yes!, Grandma is right, most children see the seeds and they don't eat the bread. Thank you so much for sharing.

The ends of bread are great for soups. You can dip them in the soup & even though they still get soggy, they're much less likely to break up & fall in the soup.

My husband doesn’t like broccoli either… however if the smell of it cooking doesn’t ruin it for him, he’ll eat it in soup or steamed, sauces & the right seasoning is key.

I am not a nutritionist, but I read so much on nutrition and thought I would help you out a bit :) I don't want to overwhelm you so please don't feel pressured When looking at wheat bread the terms to look for are "100% whole grain stone ground whole wheat including the germ", that will give you the most whole grain / fiber/ nutrition and raises blood sugar the least (Assuming the total sugar grams of added sugar are low too ). But otherwise look for 100% whole grain including the germ, or even just 100% whole grain. I like Daves killer bread too, but I think they do add quite a bit of sugar. One good alternative to added sugar drinks are herbal teas, flavored sparkling waters, or adding true lime / true lemon packs to water :). Or you can always use a higher sugar juice but water it down, or blend it with baby spinach and other whole fruits and fats to make delicious smoothies and help lower the blood sugar spikes / absorption with fiber and fats/ protein For raisins and apples and strawberries these are great snacks but I would try to go organic if eaten regularly as these are on the "dirty dozen" list of fruits and vegetables with the most pesticide residue. For things like veggies straws, I would read the ingredient list as they list from most prevalent ingredient to least. Veggies straws list potato starch first, so more of a non-fried potato chip. Harvest snaps are better as first ingredient is peas. Trail mix is excellent as it has healthy fats and helps keep you full. You could try adding dark chocolate to it if it helps the kids eat it more, or have kids tell you their favorite nuts and they could make your own mixes : ) Other good snack could be hummus, baby carrots (that say unbleached or organic) & snap peas, Guacamole cups, fried / dried lentils and legumes, some homeade banana oat meal muffins or cookies (made with oatmeal, and bananas or oatmeal bananas and almond flour as the base), low sugar or high fiber yogurt or greek yogurt, nut butters or even energy balls made with things like oats, nut butter, chia / hemp seed.

There are plenty of ED-informed dietitians I’m sure would love to come talk to your kids about intuitive eating and nutrition! I think it’s great to educate kids from a young age on this topic, though as an ED therapist I worry this nutrition label/number approach will lead to disordered eating. Ingredients and their function are much more important than the nutrition label numbers. Oftentimes, even if something is lower in calories, sugar, carbs, etc. they will replace with ingredients that aren’t as easily processed and digested by the body. OR they will not be filling and you’ll still be hungry, which can lead to eating more. The diet industry is a multi-BILLION dollar industry. Don’t fall for their scams 😊 I always suggest parents/families approach food from a neutral standpoint. No good/bad/should/shouldn’t. No healthy vs. unhealthy. No talking about diets in the household. Instead, how does this food impact your functioning? How does it make you feel when you eat it? I’m choosing this over that because I feel better and function better when I eat this. The ingredients in this food give me more energy and digest better in my body. Etc. Hope this helps!!

Love how you guys are comparing the nutrients values in different foods to help show what is better for you

You guys should try the Chile and lime flavored sun chips, I think they would probably choose those over the cheddar SunChips since it’s the same spicy flavor

Remember to refer to the serving size as well as to take note of the added sugars.

Jake, try my oven roasted broccoli recipe! There is no way you won't love it! 🥦 Use frozen broccoli florets, line a pan with aluminum foil, spray it well with olive oil cooking spray, then spread out the broccoli all over the pan, season well with McCormick garlic & herb seasoning. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

The thing to check is dyes/food coloring. They are banned in many countries.

There is a really good book that I read for one of my college classes called mindless eating by Brian Wansink that I think would really help you when it comes to shopping and making healthier food choices

Jake, try just the stalk of the Brocoli! It is sweet and doesn’t have the weird texture of the top flower part 🌺

Lol we didn’t get Takis till recently in Canada so I’ve never had them. We always considered SunChips, Lays, and Daritos unhealthy lol

Snacks are a tough thing to monitor. For one, it depends on what a person is in the mood for or craving. The trick in healthy choices isn't what you choose but moderation.

I think the biggest problem is that most of us snack too much. The more snacks you have around the more you eat.

I had to eat fruit first, before I was alowed to eat something unhealthy like candy or chips. It helped me to snack healthier🙆🏻‍♀️

I saw somebody else mention, but moderation is always best! Focus on general nutrition, and not harsh restriction because it can lead to disordered eating patterns/fear and guilt around food. Obviously takis, and processed foods/snacks aren't "healthy" but it's also not healthy to fear foods. This is not meant to be harsh at all, as a person who has in the past struggled with eating disorders I just always want to let others know what I've learned especially when they have young ones :) Also, certain things like Gatorade have the salt for electrolytes so the extra sodium isn't necessarily all bad. Love your family, and hope all is well!

What Savannah called the heel, in UK we call it a crust, for me the crust is the best part. Gatorade or Prime, I am sure there are others out there which will be cheaper and healthier. Wishing your family the best for healthier eating. Blessings to you.

Well there is another Americanism!! 😂 the heal of the bread! Never heard it called that before! UK and Aus we call it the crust ❤

Prime drink is going threw a massive craze since it’s been brought out here in the UK. People are queuing outside of shops like Aldi (uk version of trader joes) from 8am! Other shops are selling just 1 bottle for £100 it’s crazy!! xx

Still not seen a single bottle of prime in the uk. The demand is nuts over here so good on you finding some.

Great video but you forgot to consider one important thing aside from sugar, sodium, calories, etc. DYES. DYES cause hyperactivity, chromosomal damage and cancerous tumors. You might consider a challenge to have each kid take a turn making a healthy snack once a month, like healthy muffins or homemade granola, etc. You have enough kids that at even twice a month they would only have to make a snack twice a year. This would get the kids researching healthier alternatives.

Awesome video I really like it lot it was cool and you made awesome video and you are my favorite RU-vid and you are best RU-vid channel

I think this is great but having just watched Bella’s story and her talking about really struggling with an eating disorder, please don’t encourage her (or other kids) to count calories. Of course be mindful about how many sweets and chips you are eating etc but it can quickly become dangerous to focus on calories, fat and sugar especially for kids with a history of eating disorders or trauma. No food is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and it can be dangerous to label them as such. Intuitive eating is so important, especially for kids with a history of trauma / who have been in the care system. Food insecurity is also a real thing. Please just be weary of falling into the ‘low calorie/ fat/ sugar is healthy’ thing especially with the kids in this fam. There’s so much that tells us that lower the calories or fat the healthier It is which is just not true at all. I’m not trying to hate at all and obviously as their mum you know them but I am someone whose worked with a lot of eating disorders ,trauma based eating issues and those who’ve suffered trauma and food can be such as difficult thing.

It's great looking at the nutrients but ya gotta look at the ingredients.

I highly recommend Body Armor Lyte instead of Gatorade or Prime. So so good!

The rice cakes are good if you buy the big ones and add peanut butter, almonds, & coconut flakes! 😍

Perhaps you could encourage the older kids to learn about the ingredients and their side effects in the food and drinks. For example: tartrazine, sodium benzoate, and TBHQ. Those few are in so many things and even in restaurants. Once my older brother looked into those, it really changed our view of the ingredients allowed in the US and Canada which apparently have already long been banned in Europe. Scary stuff.

I remember my dad was so ill in hospital with his heart, thank goodness he pulled through, any way to get to the story of broccoli and yogurt he did not like either before he got sick, then he had to do a recoup at another hospital and ended up liking both brocc and yog, fancy liking hospital cooked brocc over the way mum cooked it, who by the way is an awesome cook, it doesnt cease to amaze even 12 yrs later. PS no dad wont eat yog anymore, go figure.😵‍💫

For Broccoli, try stir frying it with some olive oil, sesame or avocado oil, and whatever seasons you like. I usually do it with half oil and half butter (a healthy body requires natural ingredients, and some fats). One of our favorites is chopped garlic, or fresh dill or basil or oregano, or some chopped almonds. We also do plain stir fry, too. We do this with chopped Brussel sprouts, fresh green beans (or fresh frozen) and also with mixed veggies. My cholesterol went from the high 200 to 300's (once I stopped eating prepared food) to the 150's. I'm still 50 lbs from my goal, but I've dropped 5 sizes, and 55 lbs. Another suggestion, if you absolutely crave something (chocolate, ice cream or?), do not deprive yourself, because it will cause you to not follow your best laid plans. Eat your craving in smaller servings in smaller dishes, and savor each bite. Then go back to your new, regular diet.

I am so early let’s go I love when the kids choose snacks they like love watching your videos and love y’all family so much been watching since the very beginning it’s so crazy you guys are so amazing and awesome parents they are so blessed to have you guys I get super excited when you post I most definitely remember when you guys did this

I love when you compare. I enjoy some of the unhealthy snack. Do like a lot of healthy snacks out there like SunChip Brand. The one I like is Salsa one. Rice cakes I tried and they’re are good.

I never liked broccoli until I was 26 and tried a meal kit. We had roasted garlicky broccoli and now that's my favorite vegetable to add to just about any meal but it has to be roasted garlic broccoli. Add a cheese sauce to it and you've just stepped it up a notch!

My sister tried healthier options for her family. I picked up two nieces to take them to high school, when Emilynn got in the car she said she was hungry and i asked her if she ate breakfast. She said, “i made toast, but mom bought that seed bread again. I hate that seed bread!” Lol i try not to laugh at the funny and cute things they say and do, but sometimes i can’t control it! Lol 😂😂😂

Hi Crystal , You can save money through growing vegetables at home. There so many systems to grow plant and that will save money.

I grew up with strawberry patches in my mom's back yard. She also had peppermint, catnip, all kinds of stuff.

I am a diabetic i was told not to look at the sugars but at the total carbohydrate cause it turns to pure sugar anything you eat or drink that is what you look for not the regular sugar or add in sugars my nutrition told me that and a lot of fruits that you eat has more sugar then you think cause it is natural so I do try

My kids snack on cucumbers, apples, carrots and a variety of nuts. We also love rice cakes with peanut butter. The less processed the better.

Broccoli with cheese sauce (real melted cheese)!!! 🤗🤗🤗🎶

"save us" LMBO!!!!!!

the comment about starting them out young enough is so true! we only ate oat nut bread in my house so I've actually never been the biggest fan of white bread

I tried the veggie straws and i love them! I love the ranch flavor

Crystal, broccoli jake might like, you can cook it and mix margarine/butter and parmesan cheese in it and lil salt, and its really good.. or you can cook it and put cheese sauce or melted velveta cheese or some kind.. or you can eat it raw with ranch dressing. there are a lot of recipes and theres a broccoli salad thats pretty good too. maybe jake will like one of those..

Hey I loved this video! I loved getting to learn the differences about the food.I’m gonna start eating healthier! Much love to you all Crazypieces!!!🥰🫶

Steam the broccoli and then squeeze just a little bit or lemon juice on top once you put it on your plate. It’s the only way we will eat broccoli or green beans other than dipping in ranch! Lol!

Hey Crystal... just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you ❤️ 🙏 God bless you and your family!

Good morning! Nice to see your kids getting involved with the nutritional and tasting options. Thanks for sharing. Hafa adai and love from the island of Guam are 🌴❤🌴

Jake, try the KETO BROCCOLI SALAD WITH BACON - so good. Perfect as a snack, lite lunch or as a side with dinner.

Substitute out the Vitamin water for Bai Water, Body Armor Lyte, or Gatorade Fit. Prime hydration has Suclarose in it while Bai, Body Armor Lyte, & Gatorade Fit have Stevia. Vitamin Water has sugar. Stevia is 100 times sweeter then sugar & needs very little to sweeten & doesn't have carbs.

Try steaming the broccoli til still al dentist then fry 2 garlic cloves halved in 1/4 cup olive oil, remove garlic and pour oil over broccoli and toss. Sprinkle parmesah cheese if desired. My Italian mother in law cooked it that way and my boys always ate it

Garden Salsa Sun Chips have a bit of kick

The only way my kids would eat broccoli when they were little was if I made a cheese sauce to put on it. Then they would eat a lot of it . We ate a lot of broccoli with cheese after that and still do 💖🌷🥦🥦🥦🧀🧀🧀

I will also be attempting to get my daughter off Takis. A small bag is ok here & there but I will try not to buy the big bags anymore. She also loves the spicy Buldak Ramen! They literally burn my nose when I prepare it for her. She even adds more hot sauce to it. She just LOVES everything spicy. I do allow her to have hot sauce. Cool fact, You can have hot sauce even on a healthy diet. The Capsaicin in hot sauce actually boosts your metabolism by boosting your body's ability to break down fat & burn more energy!

try wet grapes rolled on jello pack and freeze.... soooo good

Love you all! Trying to eat healthily is great!

Air fried broccoli!! My kids LOVE it but HATE broccoli. Fresh broccoli Drizzle a tiny bit of oil (olive, canola, or vegetable) Sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic salt, pepper, & cayenne pepper (only a little bit of cayenne goes a long way) Mix it up good & dump into the air fryer Air fry on 390°F for about 20-22 min

Hi crazy pieces awesome video healthy v non healthy love that the kids are up to trying something different crystal you are a good mom i like some healthy things and zero sugar soda love all yall videos have good day stay safe

You also have to compare serving sizes as that (can) makes a huge difference.

They do have have a garden salsa sun chip which does have a little bit of spice might help get the kids off the takes if that's what you ae wanting to do

Loved the vlog Thanks for talking making better healthy decisions thanks to y’all I’m going to get back on my weight loss journey can y’all talk about the danger of energy drinks

Hi crazy Pieces another amazing video I appreciate you so very much thank you crystal you are amazing

Crystal my husband works for Daves killer breed. Alot of the sugar is becuse of molasses they put in the bread i recommended personly the good seed and the whole wheat and the white done right.

I call the heel the crust I love it toasted gone cold and lashings of butter

The quaker rice crsips also come in chocolate and ranch.

Apple Juice light 15Grams sugar (great value). Tropicana zero sugar has lemonade and fruit punch and some new flavors we wernt to for our family with apple juice light periodically.

Dave's Killer Bread- The Good Seed is the bomb!!

Not sure if you'll use cheese...velveeta...but cook broccoli or mix cauliflower with it.Then pour melted cheese over it....much better

What you call the "Heel" we call the "End Piece". We put the end pieces in the freezer to use to make homemade stuffing or bread crumbs in a recipe. Have you ever tried the Kirkland Vitarain Zero from Costco to the Vitamin water?

Greek yogurt!!! The ONLY way to go!!! 👏👏👏🤗🤗🤗🎶

Put out some fun looking charcuterie boards with fruits and veggies. Dips can be made with yogurt instead of sour cream. Carb balance tortillas are healthy choices rather than regular tortillas. Sprouted bread is healthier. A nutritionist would be great to have come in and have all of you taste healthier snacks - it was fun to see how well Lucas and Jake doing after the nutritionist.

Steamed broccoli 🥦 the best !! Or broccoli & cheese yum!😋

Prime is loaded with caffeine and Gatorade is loaded with sodium (and should only be drunk after a workout or when you are dehydrated).. You really shouldn't drink either, it's especially recommended that kids under 10 not drink Prime because of the high caffeine..

Garden Salsa Sun Chips taste better and may be a better replacement for Takis. Trader Joe's also has a healthier and tastier version of Takis.

My uncle would eat broccoli only if it was drenched in Ketchup. LOL

Broccoli with cheese sauce,,, so good!!

Sugar in bread is energy its about slow and fast grains that aborb in to your body. So with that brown bread u eat 2 and u can live on it for 4 hours and from that white u eat 6 for the same fullnes but in 2 hours u need food again so in the long rum brown brad is cheaper