Food For Thought:

Food for Thought, “Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your appetite.” Generally mothers are heard shouting these words. Resisting the urge to reach for a burger, candy, or chips when we are hit with a snack attack can make a big difference to our health — regardless of our age. But if the right food is offered at the right time, snacks can play an important role in managing kids’ hunger and boosting nutrition. Snacking is an effective way to fit extra nutrients into a child’s diet and prevent overeating at mealtimes. Proper nutrition is important as kids grow and snack time should be just as healthy and delicious as breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Instead of reaching for something packaged and processed, parents can make the best of this opportunity by creating healthy and delicious snacks that will keep kids (and their bellies) happy and full until dinner. Healthy snacks are an important part of helping children develop healthy eating habits and a regular eating schedule. Many nutritionists recommend eating five small meals a day rather than three large ones. Well-portioned snacks between meals can help children make a habit of grazing throughout the day and encouraging nutritious snacks will allow them to develop a healthy relationship with food.

They will also learn that healthy food can also be tasty food at an early age, building a foundation for healthy eating habits as adults. Serving healthy snacks to children is important as it provides good nutrition, supporting lifelong eating habits and helps to prevent diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity. The best snacks are nutritious — low in sugar, fat, and salt.