[shortstack]

My husband (along with our kids) can sit and eat a whole big bag of Potato Chips (usually Lays or Ruffles). A lot of times I cook popcorn on the Stovetop as a cheap Alternative. Other pluses are that it's healthier and I get points for cooking them something (though it's much easier then they think lol).

Big Bag of Chips: $2.50
Stovetop Popcorn: .40

Cost breakdown:
Uncooked Popcorn (store brand) 1 cup: .25
3 TBSP Canola Oil (store brand): .10
A Few Shakes of Garlic Salt for Flavor (store brand): .5

 

[strezzed]

I do the same, except buying the kernels in bulk is just slightly cheaper. It has definitely cut down on the junk food spending. Great idea!

 

[Grainlady]

Over-consumption of ANYTHING is a huge budget buster, and most people aren't aware of how much food they consume a day, what a serving size is, or how many servings they need.

Often people need a drink of water, rather than a snack. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger.

Snacks should be figured in with your total daily requirement of foods for the day. NUTRITION feeds our body for good health, so choose high-nutrition foods and leave junk food at the store. Portioning foods, even popcorn, is important for good health.

For more information check out My Food Pyramid - http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html

For kids:
http://www.mypyramid.gov/KIDS/

A serving of popcorn for an adult is 1-cup and counts as one serving of wholegrain. Even popcorn isn't a FREE food. Try cucumber slices or radishes for that. I dehydrate zucchini slices and we use those instead of potato chips and they are a FREE food.

If your family is not getting at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, how about adding that to your snacks along with some whole grains like popcorn or wholegrain crackers. You'll find the high-fiber content of these foods are more filling than the empty calories of junk food.

Use small containers or snack-bags for portioning good-for-you snacks, and limit how many per day. Snack-bags are 6-1/2x3-1/4-inches and you can make your own 100-calorie snack packs with them:

-1 small orange
-13 animal crackers
-3/4-oz. cheddar cheese
-1/2 c. dried apricot halves, unsweetened
-2 T. mixed nuts
-3/4 c. bran cereal
-28 grapes (or just under 1-cup)
-1 c. blueberries
-17 dry roasted peanuts
-3 T. raisins
-7 baby carrots + 2 t. almond or peanut butter
-1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. plain yogurt
-1 medium apple + 1 T. cheese
-1 T. chocolate chips and 10 pretzels
-1 stalk of celery stuffed with peanut butter or soft cheese
-1-cup bing cherries
-2 T. sunflower seeds, hulled

100 Calorie Snacks Book - http://www.100caloriesnackbook.com/

It's also important to enjoy foods being eaten. Don't eat while watching TV or doing other tasks. Only eat when you are hungry, rather than when you are bored or out of habit, and only eat until you are no longer hungry. Sit down at the table with your food, take a bite of food and consciously think about what you are eating, how it feels, smells, and then chew it very well before you swallow it, you'll find you require less food. Put your sandwich down between bites. Put your fork down between bites. Wolfing down food while being unconscious of having done so is one of the reasons for expanded waistlines these days.

 

[shortstack]

I totally agree with you grainlady and always enjoy reading your posts
The thing I would like to add though is that I allow junk food here and there for my children in moderation because from all of the research I've seen done, children who continously have "goodies" denied to them tend to over eat these things as adults.
I try to be very cognizant of creating healthy eaters with my children because I have suffered from an eating disorder for years and so have a couple my family members. I very much am trying not to pass that legacy onto my children.
They know that a healthy serving is usually about the size of their palm with their fingers closed around it for most things. In fact the other day my neighbor came over to eat with us and he commented on how little my youngest child eats (he had plenty on his plate but ate until he was full) and I told him if he looked at how small his hand is that is the equivalent of a serving size for him for that particular item. To add to that I never force my children to eat when they are not hungry or "clean their plate". That alters their circadian rhythms that allows them to know when they are full. If they do not finish their plate it goes into the fridge for the next time they tell me they are hungry.

Now my husband is another story, the saying "beating a dead horse" comes to mind lol

Over-consumption of ANYTHING is a huge budget buster, and most people aren't aware of how much food they consume a day, what a serving size is, or how many servings they need.

Often people need a drink of water, rather than a snack. Dehydration is often mistaken for hunger.

Snacks should be figured in with your total daily requirement of foods for the day. NUTRITION feeds our body for good health, so choose high-nutrition foods and leave junk food at the store. Portioning foods, even popcorn, is important for good health.

For more information check out My Food Pyramid - http://www.mypyramid.gov/index.html

For kids:
http://www.mypyramid.gov/KIDS/

A serving of popcorn for an adult is 1-cup and counts as one serving of wholegrain. Even popcorn isn't a FREE food. Try cucumber slices or radishes for that. I dehydrate zucchini slices and we use those instead of potato chips and they are a FREE food.

If your family is not getting at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, how about adding that to your snacks along with some whole grains like popcorn or wholegrain crackers. You'll find the high-fiber content of these foods are more filling than the empty calories of junk food.

Use small containers or snack-bags for portioning good-for-you snacks, and limit how many per day. Snack-bags are 6-1/2x3-1/4-inches and you can make your own 100-calorie snack packs with them:

-1 small orange
-13 animal crackers
-3/4-oz. cheddar cheese
-1/2 c. dried apricot halves, unsweetened
-2 T. mixed nuts
-3/4 c. bran cereal
-28 grapes (or just under 1-cup)
-1 c. blueberries
-17 dry roasted peanuts
-3 T. raisins
-7 baby carrots + 2 t. almond or peanut butter
-1/2 c. strawberries + 1/2 c. plain yogurt
-1 medium apple + 1 T. cheese
-1 T. chocolate chips and 10 pretzels
-1 stalk of celery stuffed with peanut butter or soft cheese
-1-cup bing cherries
-2 T. sunflower seeds, hulled

100 Calorie Snacks Book - http://www.100caloriesnackbook.com/

It's also important to enjoy foods being eaten. Don't eat while watching TV or doing other tasks. Only eat when you are hungry, rather than when you are bored or out of habit, and only eat until you are no longer hungry. Sit down at the table with your food, take a bite of food and consciously think about what you are eating, how it feels, smells, and then chew it very well before you swallow it, you'll find you require less food. Put your sandwich down between bites. Put your fork down between bites. Wolfing down food while being unconscious of having done so is one of the reasons for expanded waistlines these days.