Toddlers use up a lot of energy during their time at school, and hence parents need to pack snacks that are tasty as well as healthy. This is important to keep the kids active and energetic at school. Making use of the following 3-step snacking method will help the parents to prepare healthy and tasty snacks.
First of all, make sure that the snacks are nutritious. Planning snacks or beverages according to the four food groups formulated by Canada’s Food Guide is a good strategy. The four groups consist of (1) fruits and vegetables, (2) grains, (3) milk and alternatives, and (4) meat and alternatives. Parents can choose any one or two from these groups.
Prepare different snacks from each group every day to ensure the kids get enough nutrients for energy and growth. These snacks are not only tasty but also healthy. Avoid snacks that are high on sugar and starch. These will cause tooth decay or other health problems. Also, make the kids brush, rinse their mouth or chew a sugarless gum after each snack and before bed to protect their teeth. Snacks containing aged cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella, meat fish, poultry products, nuts, seeds or raw vegetables are good for teeth. However, make sure that these are soft and do not cause any choking hazards for very young kids.
Some of the best snacking combinations are fruits dipped in yogurt or salad; vegetable sticks with cottage cheese; crackers or bread sticks topped with cheese; chocolate or strawberry milk; milk pudding; yogurt drink; trail mix, nuts, roasted chick peas; unsweetened cereal with or without milk; homemade muffins with slice of cheese; cold pizza slices; bagel with cheese; parmesan cheese sprinkled popcorn; pita pocket with sliced cheese, meat or vegetable; hard boiled or deviled egg; cold pancakes with cream cheese or yogurt, and so on.
Other healthy options include rolled tortilla with peanut butter and banana; Egg-roll or bean burrito; canned wieners, sardines or herring; and tuna mixed with ricotta cheese. Reusable snack containers such as steel lunch box and cutlery; cloth lunch sack; thermos for drinks and so on are environmental friendly. Also, involve the kids to plan and prepare the snacks and lunches to make them more interested in eating them.
Posted on May 19th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Child Care, Diet, Toddler, school
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