Healthy Bite 002 - Heatlhy Snacks for Kids

Super Simple Healthy Podcast

Welcome to the Super Simple Healthy Podcast! This is Christina Moyes. One of the most often asked questions I get is “What can I give my kids for a healthy snack on the go?” So today, I’ll share a couple of tips about what makes a snack healthy as well as what to steer clear of and examples of what I give my own kids. Healthy Snacks for Kids So what can you give your kids for a healthy snack on the go? For a simple and quick energy boost, you’ll want to give them complex carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources. Used in combination with a protein or healthy fat it will sustain their energy longer. For example give them an apple with peanut or almond butter for dipping. My mom used to smear the peanut butter right on the cut up apple. We don’t even bother to cut it up, we just smear it right on the whole apple and bite! My younger sons will often eat that after school. Another healthy carb/protein combo is baby carrots with hummus or again, with a nut butter for dipping. That’s something I include in their lunch box from time to time. The most basic and best fast food you can find is in the produce isle of your grocery store… Apples, clementines, bananas and grapes are some of our favorites. They tend to be breakfast for my 15yr old who would prefer to eat up every extra minute of sleep instead of breakfast. When I was 15, I’d grab a package of PopTarts and eat them during chemistry, so for him to have an apple for breakfast as he heads out the door is fine with me! It’s high in vitamins, low in sugar and all that fiber will keep him fuller longer. Another grab and go snack option I give my kids are granola bars. But these are tricky. Not all bars are created equal. Two things I look for right away are the Non-GMO label and how much sugar is in each bar. The sugar content varies as does the amount of calories, so in order to determine how much is too much, you need to figure out what percentage of calories are from sugar rather than just looking at the number of grams. Multiply the number of grams of sugar by 4 – each gram of sugar equals four calories. Then divide that number by the total number of calories. So for example: 7g of sugar x 4 equals 28. In a bar with 140 calories, divide 28 by 140 and you get 20%. Try to stay under 25% of calories from sugar in a granola bar. For more about granola bars and other healthy snack ideas, please visit my website: supersimplehealthy.com So what NOT to give your kids for snack. I’m going to keep this REALLY SUPER SIMPLE. Anything high in sugar! Some say money is the route of all evil – I say it’s sugar. On average, Americans consume enormous amounts of sugar every year, which leads to a whole host of health problems. In fact, there is so much to say about sugar, it could be the subject of an entire episode. I will leave you with these two recommendations… there is no need to give a child a “sports drink” for either a practice or game. They are loaded with sugar and chemicals. Unless they are training for a marathon, water will do just fine AND it will save you tons of money!! Double bonus! My second recommendation along the same lines, which seems obvious, but I’ve seen it so much its silly. Bags of candy. Even if it’s labeled “organic”, it’s still sugar. We need sugar for energy. But not that kind. Your dentist may not thank you, but eventually, your children might. Eventually. To recap: 1) think complex carb, w little protein, little fat to give energy and make it last without a crash. 2) Stay away from added sugar as much as possible or at least calculate how much they are getting. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave your comments. And check out some of my healthy snack recipes online! Until next time: Keep it simple. Be Healthy. https://supersimplehealthy.com