As a school nutritionist, I'm always thinking about easy solutions for parents with nutrition on the go. When sending your kids to school, snacks should be well thought out. In fact, it’s a good idea for children to graze every few hours to keep their blood sugar stable and energy levels up. Don’t worry too much about them not having room for lunch or dinner. This is especially the case for toddlers, since they often get fussy at meal times. Feeding nourishing snacks prevent kids from going hungry if they get picky about what’s being served at school or at home that day.
The quality of what children eat between meals makes a big difference. Snack time is not just about giving kids something yummy to hold them over until the next meal. There are plenty of snacks that are bad ideas such as cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, muffins etc. Most of them are highly processed, have high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and dyes. Even many breakfast cereals can have more sugar than feeding your little ones sugar glazed donuts. Get into the habit of reading nutritional labels before sending your child off with these foods. The best option is to do your shopping at a health food store. Whole Foods, Trader Joes or a specialty grocery such as Fairway have a variety of natural foods that you can feel more comfortable about.
Here are some of my picks for healthy snacks that are great for school or on the go:
Apple or pear slices with string cheese
Plain or low-fat Greek yogurt with sliced bananas or berries
Cottage cheese with cut up melon
Chopped cucumbers, carrots, peppers or tomatoes with hummus
High fiber cereal or granola with no added sugar
Graham crackers with apple sauce
Hard boiled eggs
Fresh foods are always better than packaged snacks, but kids want to feel like they’re getting a treat every so often. These brands can work with children who have food allergies, gluten sensitivities and are also kosher.
Enjoy Life http://enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/
Tiger Nuts (Nut Free) https://www.tigernutsusa.com/
Pirate Brands http://www.piratebrands.com/
Earth’s Best Organic http://www.earthsbest.com/organic-baby-food/foods-for-kids/organic-apple-sauce
Popcorners http://www.popcorners.com/
For more snack suggestions- drop us an email! danielle@pashkowellness.com