A post yesterday from a mom concerned about her 7 year old's weight has made me think about snacks to offer my kids. I know fruit and veggies. We definitely offer those and insist at times but sometimes I waver because is fruit really filling and satisfying?... My daughters really want cereal after school and at first I was horrified but then I looked and since it's not junk cereal, I thought maybe it isn't so bad. Fat content is actually pretty low, sugar not high etc. But it's grains... I'm kind of at a loss for what else to offer though. I suppose nuts. What do you serve if your focus is on healthy, low fat snacks? Is whole grain cereal with skim milk really bad?
We do mostly fruit and veggies. Chick peas are great for snacking, wasabi peas if you like spicy and crunchy, carrot sticks, almonds, cheese, dried fruit, hummus. There is a thinner, tastier version of those big round rice cakes that my supermarket has - they are 100% whole grain (brown rice, whole wheat or mixed grains) - are thinner than the big ones so great with dips/spreads and are 20 calories each. Come with or without salt.
we do graham crackers with cream cheese on them for my 18 month old. try the chocolate crackers, too, it's my personal favorite.
i've also read the suggestion to freeze yogurt between graham crackers for homemade (and healthier) "ice cream" sandwiches.
Healthy cereal is a great snack! The more junky cereal makes a great dessert too.....we like dry cereal in a cup for tv snacking too.
Cheese sticks, yogurt/go-gurts, whole wheat bagels, homemade fruit smoothies and popsicles, beef jerky, meat with cheese and crackers.
Helene, we give our daughter Hi5 shakes. They are a great protein source and only 56 calories and they come in chocolate and vanilla, so she thinks she is getting desert!
cereal is fine. how about yogurt? or string cheese and turkey. my daughter just loves to eat the hormel turkey that is all natural with no nitrates/nitrites or preservatives. i just tear it up into pieces and she eats it plain. the turkey is a good source of protein
I think what you'e giving seems healthy! The only suggestion I would give is to make sur you add some protein. Can you add slivered almonds to the cereal? We do a lot of homemade trail mix (mostly raw nuts, no candy). good luck!
whole grain cereal with little sugar + skim milk is actually a very healthy snack! there are a lot of vitamins in cereal and milk has calcium and protein. i read somewhere that cereal is actually like taking a little multivitamin so don't worry!
also, try hummus and pita. or smoothies made from fruits, yogurt and milk.
low fat, low sugar is good, but how about a little protein.
yogurt is good. and i disagree with the poster that said protein drinks are bad......depends on the drink. I use a very healthy powder, add fruit, and add no fat rice milk. couldn't get much healthier. do your research for sure to make a good choice.
If you are concerned about weight, try to keep everything you choose whole grain. Be careful about choosing products called 'whole grain,' as many are made with mostly white flour but contain some whole grain. Check the ingredients.
Even Weight Watchers allows twice as much whole grain product as processed.
Of course, it's MUCH better for you, too!
Trail Mix and Mozzarella string cheese is also great for your child =)!
I think healthy cereal and milk is a good snack. If they like it then good. I remember going to a friends house after school and the snack was a spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of milk. We would dip the peanut butter in the milk to make it creamy. It was very tasty and gave that protein boost kids need. I still like it from time to time.
Please don't give her any protein shakes or anything that comes in a powdered or concentrate form! Anything like that is not good for you or for her! Cereal is fine - just be sure it is whole grain if you want the healthiest stuff.
Whole grain cereal isn't necessarily bad, but think about what else she is eating during the day - cereal for bfast? whole wheat bread for lunch? pasta for dinner? that's all wheat. Variety is really impt. That's why it's nuts, whole fruit (including the skin of the apple - good fiber and filling), plain yogurt with jam mixed in - that way you control the sweetness level for snacks. Buy different nuts and just serve one type a day, so pistachios, almonds, cashews. Trader Joe's has '50% less salt' nuts - kids seem to like the salt - but the 50% is enough.
Have a bowl of fruit on the table so they can have more than one piece. Also start talking about learning the difference between that heavy fullness and 'not hungry'. One doesn't need to eat until one is stuffed - just so the hungry sensation is abated.
Cereal is great but I would offer raisins, fruit, nuts, yogurt, etc to balance it out. Most people need more then a single food group at each snack and meal to be balanced and feel satisfied. This goes for kids as well. Make sure they drink water.
