After-School Snacks
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Healthy alternatives for after-school
snack time
The new school year is just around the corner, and with
childhood obesity on the rise and an increased national
focus on sensible eating, it's more important than ever to
offer healthy food alternatives to kids. And not just for
school lunch. Afternoon snack time is often overlooked when
parents are planning meals, making it easy for families to
stray away from making smart food choices.
When grocery shopping, it's important to plan in advance,
keeping snack time in mind. The following five tips for
keeping after-school snack time healthy should help you get
started:
1. Be creative. Use cookie cutters to cut fruit into fun
shapes, or engage kids by having them help make fruit or
vegetable kabobs.
2. Stock your fridge (and freezer) sensibly. Make it easy
for kids to eat healthy by avoiding the junk food aisle all
together.
3. Try a twist on the traditional. Frozen grapes or a banana
dipped in peanut butter are more likely to tempt kids' taste
buds than a simple celery or carrot stick.
4. Lead by example. If your eating habits are unhealthy,
it's likely that your kids' will be the same way. Make smart
food choices and they will too.
5. Keep the options open. Give children a variety of choices
to show them that there are many ways to eat healthy, tasty
food. This prevents food boredom and will encourage them to
make smart snack decisions on their own.
Bypassing the junk food aisle and heading to the produce
section is always a good idea. But you might be surprised to
know that there are a variety of healthy alternatives in the
frozen aisle, too. There is an increasing number of healthy
frozen foods geared specifically toward kids' tastebuds. Dr.
Praeger's Littles, for example, are all natural, bite-size
veggie pancakes that come in fun-shaped broccoli, potato,
sweet potato and spinach varieties. Parents pressed for time
can pop them in the oven for a quick and nutrient-rich snack
perfect for fueling kids' brains and bodies for an
after-school sports practice or homework session.
"Parents should see snack time as an opportunity to teach
kids to make smart health decisions," says Dr. Peter Praeger,
a practicing cardiac surgeon and founder of Dr. Praeger's
Sensible Foods. "If kids start eating good-for-you foods
early in life, they're very likely to take healthy eating
habits into adulthood."
On your next trip to the supermarket, consider incorporating
healthy after-school snacks into your meal planning,
including healthy frozen food options for kids. You'll be
surprised to see how quickly kids learn that good food can
be tasty, too.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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