Smart Snacking

Do you only get hungry at breakfast, lunch, and dinner time? Obviously not. Our body processes food gradually and gets hungry when it needs more energy. Our body needs fuel to be alert, energetic and functioning well. When we don’t eat enough, our body reminds us with hunger pains and demands food. Don’t ignore these hunger pains and have a snack.

Almost all parents feel that all snacks are not so good for children and can lead to weight increase, but that isn’t always the situation. The point is giving the right foods at the right time and knowing that snacks are an essential part of your child’s nutrition. Even if your child is eating three complete meals each day, the average child’s stomach can’t hold all the nutrients and calories required for body growth and building bones, tissues and muscles. Almost all children need three full meals and at least two or three snacks per day.

There are many advantages of smart snacking, such as it helps in managing between meals, provides extra energy between meals, and helps in preventing overweight. Moreover, snacking gives you the opportunity to add fruit, vegetables and other important nutrient to your child’s meal.

It’s important to remember that always give smart snacks instead of the unhealthy ones, such as cookies, chips, jellies and chocolates. They provide very little or no vitamins and minerals. There are some helpful snack strategies to follow: Keep snack portions in less quantity say not more than 250 calories. Give the snacks on a regular schedule of every 3 - 4 hours. Allowing enough time between meals will ensure that kids are not too full to have their regular meals.

Most importantly, keep healthy snacks at the ready so that kids will be able to make smart snack choices. Always use the nutrition based facts label when deciding on foods to be used for snacks to ensure they are low in fats, calories, and sugar. Instead, choose ones good in iron, calcium, and fiber.

You can learn more about your child’s good health by joining Shaw Academy’s Child Nutrition program. To know more about Shaw Academy Reviews, subscribe to their YouTube channel.