According to experts, snacking can actually improve your child’s wellness, especially if those snacks are healthy. Netty Levine, a dietitian and diabetes educator says that snacking ‘can actually help keep kids from overeating at mealtime’, as well as other wellbeing benefits such as mood, concentration and motivation improvement, especially during times of high mental demand such as during exams. Remember, a healthy diet means in-between meals too.
Firstly, Levine recommends giving them what they want, like chocolate, once or twice a week so your kids will be more likely to eat healthy snacks at other times. ‘I’m a firm believer that you can’t be ultra strict when choosing snack foods, or your child will just go out and eat the really bad stuff on their own – and probably a lot more of it’ she says. Marjorie Livingston, a professor of nutrition, adds that you should sometimes just choose the lesser of the evils: ‘If, for example, you have two items that are equal in sugar, fat and calories, sometimes you’ll find that one contains vitamins, minerals and fibre while the other doesn’t’. If a snack is over 250 calories per portion, Livingston says it’s probably got too many empty calories.
Portion size is important to adhere to, however, as nutritionist Joy Bauer says ‘Yes, you can relax a little in terms of allowing certain foods, but you should pay attention to how much of these foods your child is eating’ especially if your child is battling a weight problem. ‘You don’t want to exclude an overweight child from having snacks,’ Bauer advises ‘but you must remember to include their snack calories as part of their daily calorie intake – and teach your child how to do that as well’. Levine suggests keeping some re-sealable bags to hand, and letting children prepare their own portion-controlled servings.
Further, the easier it is to eat healthy snacks, the more your kids will eat them. Cut up fruits and vegetables in preparation, but also make them easy to snatch from the fridge or the table so your kids won’t think twice about grabbing them. Levine adds ‘Kids love to share their snacks at school and if you help them do that, they are more likely to eat what you prepare.’ Livingston adds that preparing snacks yourself makes it easier hide the healthy ingredients, such as substituting a quarter of the flour in any biscuit or cake recipe with that same amount in ground linseeds. ‘Your kids won’t taste the difference, and you’ll be giving them added fibre and important omega-3s’ says Livingston. Whether you’re preparing snacks for your children to take to school, or treats to keep them satisfied in the afternoon or evening, get creative and see what wellness results you can achieve.
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