Healthy Snacks for Kids
January 02 2013
The key to healthy eating for children is learning good eating habits early in life. Most young children graze and snack throughout the day. But is what they are eating good for them? Are they learning healthy habits?
Limit empty calories
Children will ask for food that is marketed directly towards them, such as fast food, candy and foods with empty calories. But by limiting the junk food that gives them empty calories and contributes to restlessness and sugar-rushes, you can help them learn good habits.
Children learn at a young age how food makes them feel. Comfort food such as homemade soup, homeade breads and healthy snacks will give children the association of goodness with good food. After all, junk food is loaded of fat, calories, sugar and salt and do not contribute to a child’s overall nutrition. Rather, they fill their tummies full of nothing, help them choose goodness over junk.
Give Unhealthy Snacks the Boot
Stocking up on sugary drinks and unhealthy lunch box snacks because they are on sale does not bring savings. In fact, if children are raised with unhealthy eating habits, they will continue throughout their life struggling with health issues. Giving your children healthy eating habits at an early age is a precious gift.
Here are a few healthy snack ideas to add to your child’s lunch box:
• Whole grain toast with low-fat cheese spread
• Veggie mixture of sweet corn, snow peas, peas, carrots, cucumber
• Yogurt, preferably natural without added sugar
• Cut up mixed fruit
• Homemade whole grain biscuits – add finely grated apple, cheese, carrots before baking.
• Raw vegetables such as carrots, or baby carrots.
• Dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, apricots, banana
• Seeds and nuts (please follow nut policies in schools and daycare)
• Eggs, scrambled, boiled, mashed
• Salads with healthy salad dressings
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Whole fruit such as a pear, apple, plum, grapes, orange
