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SMART SNACKING TIPS FOR CHILDREN
Smart snacking tips can help children meet daily nutrient requirements that may
be missed at meal times. Children may need healthy snacks, or "mini meals", to help
them get enough calories (energy) throughout the day. So, choosing healthy foods
that add nutrients—without excessive calories—to their diets is essential.
Forming a smart snacking habit is easier if you don’t start with bad habit. So,
getting your children off to a good start with healthy snacking is a behavior that
will stick with them for a lifetime. Having nutritious and healthy snacks foods
available makes forming a smart snacking habit easier. Here are more tips for establishing
smart snacking habits for children:
Smart Snacking tips:
- Keep portions small to avoid weight gain.
- Pre-portion your child's snacks into small plastic bags to grab
on the go or put a snack-sized serving on a plate.
- Plan ahead when you buy healthy snacks at the supermarket –
you will make healthier choices and will save money by resisting impulse purchases.
- Provide kids healthy snack choices and make the choices you offer
reasonably nutritious and delicious – calcium-rich pudding, chocolate milk, granola
bars, graham crackers with milk, peanut butter on crackers, for example.
- For older children, designate an area in your refrigerator or cupboard for
healthy snacks that you have selected and your kids like - let them help
themselves without having to ask for permission.
- Combine snacks from at least two food groups, like a protein (cheese,
milk, yogurt, peanut butter, hummus) and a carbohydrate (crackers, pretzels, fruit,
vegetables), to pack more nutrients into your child's diets - it will be more filling
and will tide them over until their next meal. Adding 1% or skim milk to cereal
and graham crackers or peanut butter to crackers or fruit is an easy way to add
calcium and protein to an otherwise carbohydrate-only snack
If chosen carefully, healthy snacks can promote good health by supplying nutrients
without adding too many calories.
Next time you or your kids need to re-fuel, try any of the following quick,
healthy snacks:
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Smart Snacking for Children Made Simple
Dairy
- String cheese and fruit (canned or fresh)
- Nonfat cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit
- Smoothies with milk or yogurt and sliced bananas or strawberries
- Whole-wheat crackers with cheese or peanut butter
- Yogurt with fresh fruit or granola
- Low-fat chocolate milk
- Scoop of ice cream or frozen yogurt with fresh berries
Fruits and Vegetables
- Raw vegetable sticks with low-fat yogurt dip, cottage cheese or hummus
- Apples and cheese – pears and other fresh fruits work too!
- Baby carrots
- Fruit salad
- Applesauce cups (unsweetened)
- Frozen fruit bars
- Dried fruit such as raisins or plums and nuts
Grains
- Cereal – dry or with milk
- Baked potato chips or tortilla chips with salsa
- Pretzels (lightly salted or unsalted) and a glass of milk
- Bagels with tomato sauce and melted cheese
- Flavored rice cakes (like caramel or apple cinnamon) with peanut butter
- Popcorn - air popped or low-fat microwave
- Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers, animal crackers or fig bars and a
glass of milk
Remember: Space all snacks an hour or so from meals so appetites are not spoiled!
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