Parents are always struggling with what to let their kids eat as a snack. There are so many snack options available for children, but not too often are they as healthy as we would like. Many snacks may claim to be healthy, but a lot of them are no healthier than any other snack. One suck snack is NutriGrain bars. With “nutri” in the name, it must be healthy and nutritious, right? Wrong. Most individually wrapped snack foods that claim to be healthy are not as healthy as they may seem with their advertising, or with their packaging. It is very important to look at the nutrition label if you plan on giving your children a snack that you expect to be healthy for them.
 
Many of the most nutritious snacks that we can give our children come not from fancy packaging, but from the local farmers’ markets. Snacks these days are based of convenience, and not health issues. That is why it is so important for parents to make their kids fresh fruits and vegetables for a snack. Bananas, apples, celery, and carrots all make for a nice and healthy snack for your child. Besides those health foods, there are a bunch of different foods that can be given to your children as a snack to ensure they stay healthy. Think outside of the box, and make sure that you aren’t just ripping open a bag of chips to hold your child over until dinner is ready.
 
Out of the pre-packaged snacks that are readily available for your children, only a handful are truly healthy enough to be given to your children without worries. Those foods may not even be labeled as healthy, but all you have to do is read the nutrition label. Choose snacks that are low in fat, and low in sugar. Sometimes fat-free snacks are worse in the long run, because they are loaded with more sugar to make up for what they lose by way of taste. It is going to be up to you to read nutrition labels to find more healthy snack options for your children.
 
It’s not easy to find snacks that fit the criteria for being healthy, and even harder to prove that a pre-packaged snack is as healthy as they claim. The following list should help make finding healthier snacks for your children much easier.
 
Cheese and crackers – Cheese and crackers are a great snack to give your kids in moderation. Cheese is often high in fat, and some crackers are high in sodium. Choose a low fat cheese, and a low sodium cracker for a great healthy snack.
 
Fruit with Nutella or peanut butter – Fruit can be a boring snack for some kids. Adding a touch of Nutella, or even peanut butter, can make fruit a lot more appealing and tasty for our children.
 
Popcorn – No, not the kind of popcorn you get at the local theater smothered in butter and salt. Plain popcorn is easy to control how much butter you add, and therefore can be a healthier alternative to many snacks.
 
Travis Newville
Breckenridge, Michigan