Kids eat between their meals to make sure they are getting everything they require to grow and maintain energetic lifestyles. Snacking accounts for nearly 25 percent of a kid's nutritional intake on a daily basis so you need to provide good nutrition and not meaningless munching. Here are some do’s and don’ts of snacking.
Do give more
whole foods
You can think of snacking as
mini-meals and less as processed snacks. You can provide your kid with small
whole food portions during snack time with a bit of protein, fibre and healthy
fats.
Don’t graze
Create a snack and meal routine.
Munching in between meals can deter appetite and eagerness to try new foods
during mealtimes. It might be tempting for you to provide them with more snacks
frequently, however, it is recommended that you do the opposite.
Do consider
treats and snacks differently
It would be cruel to totally take
away the treats and sweets from kids. However, they need to be an addition and
should not be used to replace nourishing snacks. If you have to take the
children out for ice cream, go after the child has had peanut butter and apple.
Don’t go too
far with packaged snacks
Always tasty and convenient; however,
they tend to be high in salt, sodium and refined grains. When you give your
child too many of these snacks, it might cause a gap in his/her daily nutrition
intake.
Don’t get
used to stroller snacking
Stop using food for soothing or as a
diversion. It is not good for the kids to learn to relate to eating from the
stroller. Food must be eaten when the child can pay attention and you can be
mindful of what he/she is eating. There might be times where eating on the move
is essential, however, you need to ensure that it doesn’t become a routine.
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