Kids are notoriously picky eaters, so snack time provides an opportunity to sneak in extra nutrients. These daily snacks provide youngsters with energy to help them focus throughout the day. Kid-friendly packaging may stand out in the grocery store, but that doesn’t mean the products are healthy.
Instead of guessing while walking through the store, review these four best and four worst snacks to make healthy choices.
The Best Snacks
These four snacks offer essential vitamins and nutrients without compromising on delicious taste. Your kiddos will love seeing these items in their lunch boxes, and you can rest assured that they’ll stay energized while at school or playing sports.
1. Trail Mix
Trail mix is the perfect snack option because it’s incredibly customizable. While nuts are usually the main ingredient, you can also add dried fruit, seeds, and dark chocolate to provide variation. It’s easy to store and pack-up for on-the-go snacking. Best of all, if your kid spills their mix, it’s easy to vacuum up without leaving stains.
Nuts are good for heart health because they’re packed with fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E. They also have unsaturated fats, which are known to lower cholesterol levels. Keep in mind nuts have high-calorie content, so you’re kiddos should still consume this healthy snack in moderation.
2. Oatmeal
Kids can eat oatmeal for breakfast or as a snack. While it’s nice on its own, you can also add oatmeal to other recipes like muffins and snack bars to create healthy bites. This delicious ingredient is gluten-free and packed with fiber to keep kids feeling full for longer. Research indicates it can reduce sugar spikes which is beneficial for any children with diabetes. It is also full of minerals like zinc which strengthens the immune system.
3. Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit contains natural sugar, which will entice your kids to finish their plate. While it’s still important to eat in moderation, unprocessed natural sugar is healthier than processed sugars and artificial flavorings. Fresh fruit also contains essential vitamins and nutrients, which will give your child energy and support healthy development.
Fresh fruit is low in fat, sodium, and calories, making it the perfect snack for kids. Remember to skip the caramel, chocolate, and whipped cream fruit dips to make it as healthy as possible.
Popular kid-friendly fruits include:
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Berries
- Apples
- Bananas
4. Cheese
Dairy products, like cheese, provide kids with calcium and vitamin D. Most children do not consume the recommended amount of dairy for their age group. This increases their risk for injury and rickets since they are missing out on healthy vitamins and minerals. When choosing what types of cheese to feed your children, look for pasteurized varieties that are full fat.
It’s best to avoid mold-ripened cheeses since some types contain listeria, which can make young children sick with food poisoning. Other cheeses, like cheddar, parmesan, and Monterey jack, are safer snacking options.
The Worst Snacks
With the good comes the bad, and the four snacks listed below are some of the worst. Most have high sugar and salt contents and lack nutrients vital to child development.
1. Raisins
Many parents reach for raisins thinking the dried fruit would count as a sweet and healthy snack for their kids unfortunately, this line of thinking fails to recognize the high sugar content. Raisins have a gummy consistency that gets stuck on children’s teeth. By sticking to the teeth, they give the cavity-causing bacteria time to produce harmful acids leading to tooth decay.
Besides raising dental concerns, these tiny morsels lead to overconsumption. While small, they still have a lot of sugar, calories, and fiber. If kids eat too many, it could lead to diarrhea and cramping.
2. Sugary Cereal
The cereal aisle is full of colorful boxes which are bound to snag your child’s interest. Many parents have succumbed to their kid’s begging and thrown the box into the cart. While cereal makes a terrific snack, many are high in sugar and calories with very few nutrients. This leads to a massive sugar crash instead of long-lasting energy. Instead of shopping on instinct, take a look at the nutritional label before you make a decision.
3. Fruit Snacks
Fruit snacks are a perfect example of misleading branding. They’re high in sugar, artificial flavors, and preservatives, and yet parents continue to buy them because they believe they’re a healthy snack because of the name. The truth is that these gummies are made with fruit juice concentrates rather than real fruit. Therefore they lack many of the vitamins and nutrients that are in fresh fruit.
Like raisins, these sticky sweets cause cavities because they adhere to kids’ teeth and are difficult to brush away.
4. Processed Meats
Any meats preserved using smoking, salting, curing or chemical preservatives are processed. That includes household favorites like hotdogs, deli meat, and bacon. Research shows that eating processed meats increases the risk of developing cancer. The preservation process leads to the formation of cancer-causing substances.
For the safety of your children, it’s best to avoid these ingredients entirely whenever possible.
Shop With Confidence
Now that you know the four best and four worst snacks for kids, you can shop with confidence at the grocery store. Snack time will still be delicious and fun, and you can remain stress-free knowing your kids are enjoying nutritious foods. If you’re ever uncertain of a product, you can check the label to identify key ingredients and nutritional values.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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