Do pizzas, ice creams, French fries, cookies, and candies list high on your kid’s agenda for snacks? And despite you telling your kids innumerable times, they still swear by junk and unhealthy foods for snacks. Giving in to their desire for junk food is paving the way for your kids to be obese.
Just as charity begins at home, good nutrition and balance diet habits start at home. The way of life today is fast-paced wherein an adult is always on the move. The same applies to your children too. It is essential to have healthy snacks handy which your kids can grab on the move.
Early encouragement for smart eating habits, improved nutritious diet early in life could make your child healthy. Even if you can not stand on their heads 24*7, there are many ways where you can give them a well-balanced diet and life all around.
Ravenous and famished after school, your kid is likely to grab something from the fridge or kitchen shelf for snacks. After school snacking plays an important part of every child’s diet, as it could several hours since they last ate, and they need nourishment, especially when they have to settle down, do homework, and indulge in playful activities. Think of snacks as an opportunity to supplement children’s diets with healthy food. It guarantees the nutrition they deserve as well as curbs hunger pangs in between meals.
Make snack time nibbles attractive and hassle-free. Prepare small portions of snacks and leave them in easy-to-find places like kitchen shelves, fridge, or dining table. The healthiest and simplest choice for snacks is fresh fruits and raw vegetables requiring minimum preparation time.
Some good suggestions for kid-friendly healthy snacks include:
1. Make fruit salads with kid’s favorite fruits. Prepare them in small batches from fresh fruits and freeze them.
2. Dry fruits like raisins or apricots and fresh fruits like apples, oranges, watermelons, and bananas.
3. Sandwiches with peanut butter, tuna, or lean meat cuts.
4. Yogurt, plain or flavored, or milkshakes made with low-fat or skimmed milk. Dry cereals or cornflakes served with fruit and low-fat milk.
5. Fresh fruit juices like orange, watermelon, grapefruit, or frozen juice bars.
6. Hard-boiled eggs with a slice of whole wheat bread, peanuts, pretzels, or crackers.
7. Ready to eat cut-up veggies like carrots, cucumbers, and celery. Unbuttered popcorn, wheat crackers, or whole-grain muffins served with low-fat cheese dip.
8. Fruit Smoothie made in a blender with fresh fruits, juice, and yogurt.
9. Yogurt dessert with layers of low-fat yogurt, fruits, and veggies.
You can spice up your kid’s snack time with a variety of foods. Get your children to make the snack menu for the week. Serve small portions instead of a big one. Let them learn to be hungry, rather than feel full and stuffed close to lunch or dinner time.
