Kids today face a lot of potential health problems. Over the years adults themselves have become more sedentary and have lost the way a little when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet. More rely on convenience and processed foods and fail to get enough regular exercise. Kids learn by example and not maintaining a healthy diet in childhood could impair their later lives.
Although many parents make a real effort when it comes to their meal time cooking nowadays many still don't pay enough attention to the snacks that their children eat. Many snacks that are marketed at the child sector are actually high in additives, fat, salt and sugar. Finding a healthier alternative may be better. So, how can parents find healthy snacks for children?
Examples of Healthy Snacks for Kids
One of the easiest ways for parents to introduce healthier options into a child's diet is to stop buying snacks and to look to putting them together or even making them themselves from scratch. Popular choices here include:
- Fruit and vegetables: Giving a child an apple, a banana, a handful of grapes or some carrot or cucumber sticks is far better for them that a packet of sweets or crisps. They'll get a better nutritional intake and an energy boost that lasts for longer.
- Dried fruit: Many kids love dried fruit because it is sweet and easy to eat. A handful of raisins or some dried apricots may be a good option. Do bear in mind, however, that fruit and dried fruit may have a high natural sugar content that may not be so great for the teeth if they eat this kind of snack between meals all of the time.
- Cheese: Cheese is a good source of calcium and can therefore be a good snack alternative. It can also be combined with a healthy cracker or two.
- Yogurts: Yogurts are also good sources of calcium and are popular with most kids. Remember that not all yogurts are "equal" in health terms. Some have a high sugar content and should be avoided.
- Nuts: Children without nut allergies may enjoy a handful of nuts as a snack. Nuts are vitamin rich foods but are high in fat. They can add value to any diet in moderation however.
- Bread and crackers: If kids are really hungry after a day at school or after activity then you can give them carbs as a snack. Pieces of pitta bread with hummus, a couple of bread sticks or a few crackers may be good options.
Many parents will also look at baking and making their own snacks as an alternative. This can be especially useful if their kids are picky eaters and need some encouragement to eat certain foods.
Making Healthy Snacks at Home
There are a few advantages to making snacks at home. This will, for example:
- Allow parents to know exactly what ingredients are being put into the snacks.
- Get kids involved in the choosing and making/baking process making them far more likely to want to eat the snacks that they helped make.
Although sugary foods like biscuits, cookies and cakes should be kept as a treat there is a place for them. Parents that make healthier options with their kids can give these out as a special snack every now and then but still keep control over what their kids are eating.
This doesn't have to take a lot of time or money. Given the average attention span of any child, kids' recipes are usually designed to be easy to follow and quick to make. Parents can also find a lot of variety by looking for recipes online. This will give them more recipes to choose from and will save them from having to buy potentially expensive kids' cookery books.
If a child is really hungry and not just whining for a sugar rush then he will eat a healthy snack rather than one that is bad for him. It may take some willpower on the part of the parents to make the necessary changes here but it can be done. The best tip of all is simply to stop buying unhealthy snacks in the first place, giving no alternatives that can be demanded when a child wants a snack.
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