Packing school snacks every morning can be hard work. It’s convenient to toss a few single-serve packaged options into your kids’ school bag, especially if that’s what they ask for. And why wouldn’t they? Snack foods are widely promoted on TV and online ads directed at children.
But cookies, pretzels and gummy bears miss out on the nutrients children need to fuel their busy school day. The good news? Healthy whole foods can be just as convenient for school snacking.
Why snacks matter
With smaller tummies than adults, children get hungry between meals.
More than a third of a child’s daily calories come from foods they eat between meals. That’s a big chunk of the food that they eat each day! So, it makes sense to get some protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in at snack time.
The truth is that many packaged items are treats, not snacks. A treat has more sugar, salt and fat than a snack, and is typically made from ultra-processed ingredients.
Healthy snacks
What constitutes a healthy and nutritious snack for a child? Here’s what I look for:
The snack is an unprocessed, whole, real food, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds or cheese
If the snack is packaged:
it is only minimally processed, like milk made into yogurt (not ultra-processed, like corn made into multi-coloured sugary cereal)
it does not have refined flour, starch, sugar or hydrogenated oil as the main ingredient (it’s not a treat like candy, chips or baked goods)
the Nutrition Facts panel shows at least 3 grams of fibre or protein, or ideally both!
it contains no more than 160 mg sodium per serving
most of the sugar is natural – from fruit or milk.
Whole food choices: It’s just as easy to toss an apple into their school bag as it is to add chips. These whole food snacks are good options:
any fruit: apple, pear, banana, strawberries, grapes, etc.
easy vegetable sticks: cucumber, carrot, celery, peppers, etc.
cheese string
air-popped popcorn
trail mix with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and raisins (add nuts if allowed at school).
Better packaged snacks: Sometimes you don’t have time for homemade snacks, and that’s okay. Not all packaged snacks are ultra-processed foods! Here are some great options if you’re short on time:
hummus and whole grain crackers or baby carrots
roasted chickpeas
Greek yogurt cups
bean or lentil crackers
kale chips.
After-school snacks
Any of the above options are great for a post-school snack. But with a fridge nearby, you can add a bit of pizzazz with these ideas too:
Banana wraps with nut, seed or soy butter
Fruit skewers dipped in Greek yogurt
Steamed edamame (green soy beans you buy frozen)
Homemade snack bites (mixtures of seeds and dried fruit with nut, seed or soy butter, rolled into balls)
Low-salt whole wheat tortillas and homemade guacamole.
And finally, here are some substitutes to boost the nutrition of standard fare:
Instead of...
Chocolate- or yogurt-coated granola bars
Fruit chews, gummies or roll-ups
Chips or pretzels
Packaged cookies or cereal bars
Fruit drinks or juice
Veggies with ranch dip
Toaster pastries
Try...
Uncoated granola bars
Raisins, figs or dried apricots
Air-popped popcorn
Homemade whole grain muffins
Fresh fruit
Veggies with Greek yogurt
Whole grain bread with nut, seed or soy butter and jam
Each day of the challenge, you and your colleagues will use the 21 Snacks for 21 Days recipe book or the easy online snack finder to discover a new healthy snack. They look like treats and taste amazing. All include a fruit or vegetable and meet strict nutrition standards.
While research on whether snacking aids weight loss is mixed, some evidence suggests that increasing your meal frequency through snacking may help manage hunger and improve blood sugar regulation ( 1 ).
When you stop snacking, you automatically take in less calories. "Your weight is a balancing act, but the equation is simple. If you eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight," says the Mayo Clinic. "And if you eat fewer calories and burn more calories through physical activity, you lose weight."
The 21-Day Fix® is a diet program designed to help people reach their weight-loss goals through healthy eating, portion control and daily exercise. The plan calls for balanced eating that includes a mix of all the different food groups: lean protein, complex carbs, plenty of vegetables and healthy fats.
The following foods can support weight loss and boost your overall health in a variety of ways.
Lean Protein. Lean protein sources like chicken, turkey and grass-fed lean beef help keep you full, decrease cravings and stabilize blood sugar, says Feit. ...
Try to avoid or limit fried and breaded items, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and breaded fish filets. Instead, opt for turkey, chicken breast, lean ham, or lean roast beef. Many fast food restaurants offer a grilled chicken item, which is often your best bet.
Snack pack ideas include chopped fruit, granola, rice cakes, smoothie-ready ingredients , frozen fruit, or yogurt. Similar to snack packs, find protein bars that don't have added sugar or try making your own protein bar like this pumpkin apple protein bar found on Diabetes Food Hub®.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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