Healthy Snacks Tips for Kids

Snacking can be your enemy or your friend. There is no hard and fast rule saying that you cannot snack during your diet - in fact, snacking can help you in your efforts to lose weight. However, for many the temptation is too great and overindulging in snacks can defeat the whole purpose of dieting in the first place. To help combat this downside, it helps to learn how to snack smartly and how this eating pattern can fit into your kids' dieting needs.

One of the more popular eating habits being adopted is the concept of eating mini meals and regularly incorporating snacks in between your main meal portions throughout the day. But that doesn’t mean just any type of snack food will do. You’ll want to consume snacks that not only taste good and fulfill your hunger pangs, but will give your body the nutrients it needs and tie you over in a good way before your next meal. Never ignore your hunger pangs and force yourself to wait until lunch or dinner. Although this may seem to make more sense if you’re trying to lose weight, the mini starvation you’re putting your body through can backfire on your efforts. Going into a main meal starving will more than likely cause you to eat faster and consume more in one sitting than is necessary. The snacks act as the perfect middleman to keep your consumption in check and prevent overeating.

Snacks can be good for us if we make good choices. Children especially may benefit from healthy snacks. They often cannot eat enough at three meals a day to satisfy their hunger and provide all of the nutrients they need. Snacks can provide the additional foods they need.

Snack Tips

• Plan snacks as a part of the day's food plan.
• When shopping, let children help pick out their favorite flavors of KIND snacks. They will be more interested in eating these snacks if they have been involved in selecting them.
• Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious ready-to-eat KIND snacks.
• Offer snacks at regular times, such as midmorning and midafternoon. Don't let children nibble constantly during the day.
• Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks, such as candy and soda pop.
• Never offer food as a reward for good behavior.

The key to snacking the right way is to practice moderation. Eating too many healthy snacks can work against you and cause you to consume too many calories than is necessary. Be aware of your serving sizes and how many calories each of your snacks contain.