Enjoy Some Healthy Snacks

Who doesn’t love to snack?  Some people think snacking is bad for you, but not so.  Healthy snacks can add some important nutrients to your day.  And kids need some snacks as they have small stomachs and need some snacks between meals.  Americans love their snacks as 73% of us eat at least one snack a day (up from 57% in 2019).  Who is snacking?  According to Food Insight, 78% of Millennials and 79% of parents with kids under 18 enjoy snacking at least once a day.   

Why do people snack?  Food Insight’s survey shows:

• Hungry or thirsty:   34%
• Snacks are a treat:   25%
• Need energy:  22%
• Snacking is a habit:  21%

As noted, many people say they snack because they are hungry or thirsty.  And that may be true, especially for growing children and teenagers.  Others are craving sweets and some people crave a salty snack.  Some people think snacking is bad for your health.  But is it?  Yes, some snacks like Cheetos are not a healthy choice.  But many snacks can be good for your health.  Children, in particular, need snacks.  They have small stomachs and should have snacks between meals.  Pre-school kids should have morning and afternoon snacks.  School-age kids should have an afternoon snack.  KidsHealth notes, “Healthy snacks help manage kid’s hunger and boost nutrition.  Snacks can keep them from getting so hungry that they get cranky.  Snacks may help prevent overeating at meals.  And for picky eaters of all ages, snacks are a chance to add more nutrients to their diets”.    

How can you have some healthy snacks on hand? 

• Plan those snacks.  Rather than opening a cupboard or the fridge and grabbing anything, plan ahead.  Most of us, about 59%, grab a snack without planning what we will eat.  By having healthier snack options on hand, it is easier for adults and kids to choose healthy snacks.  Bring some snacks to work.  Skip the vending machines and have some healthy snacks at your desk. A daughter plans and brings her snacks to work. She will have a banana, later some yogurt and then in the afternoon some nuts from her snack bag. 
  
• Snacks can fill nutritional gaps – choosing fresh fruit or veggies can help you get in the recommended 5 A Day of fruits and veggies.  Short on dairy?  Grabbing a yogurt or having some cheese and crackers can add dairy to your day.  Short on whole grains?  Satisfy that salty snack urges by enjoying some whole grain chips like Sun Chips or Late July chips.  Add some salsa and you are adding better nutrition to your snack. Snacks like oatmeal cookies add some whole grain to your child’s day. 

 What are some good snack options for adults?

• Fruit and veggies – aim to add some fruit or veggies to every snack.  Why?  Because so many Americans are not eating enough fruits and veggies.  The salsa counts as a vegetable as does guacamole.  Keep hummus on hand as a dip for carrot sticks.
• Protein – you need protein to build and maintain your muscles.  Dairy provides a very high-quality protein – if it is real dairy from cow’s milk and not a plant-based milk or plant-based yogurt.  Choose some low-fat cottage cheese and fruit, yogurt with fresh fruit.  Melted mozzarella on a half of an English muffin.
• Fiber – many of us are short on fiber on our diets.  Enjoy some popcorn.  Popcorn is whole grain.  Fresh fruit like fresh raspberries are good sources of fiber.  Fiber helps you feel full and feeds those “good bacteria in your gut”.    Nuts are another good snack choice – a handful of nuts, not the whole can.
• Choose 2 food groups for your snack like yogurt for dairy and fresh blueberries for the fruit.
• Choose healthy snack options when out and about.  Recently at our local Starbucks they offered a Cheese Trio Protein Box with 20 grams of protein and an Eggs & Gouda Protein Box providing 26 grams of protein.  But calories were high, over 500, so for many people this would be more like a “meal” than a snack. 

What are some good snack choices for kids?  (See:  Healthy After-School Snacks for Kids.)

Kids need snacks as noted above.  They have small stomachs and get hungry between meals.  Active kids need snacks for energy as they can burn up a lot of calories playing.  Try to have snack time at the same time each day. Let kids get involved in making the snack.  Offer the kids some snack choices and let them choose the snack they want. 

• Breakfast cereal – buy any General Mills cereal (all are whole grain) and let your kids enjoy cereal as a healthy snack.  Add some real cow’s milk and you have 2 food groups, dairy and grain.
• Fruit – cut up into small pieces to avoid choking.  For small children, even grapes should be cut up.  Add some yogurt or cottage cheese.
• Graham crackers with peanut butter.
• Applesauce on top of some cottage cheese.
• Whole grain chips and salsa
• Smoothies – let older kids make their own smoothie with fresh fruit and real milk or yogurt.
• Pudding or Chocolate Milk – yes, these contain some added sugar but pudding and chocolate milk also provide calcium, protein and many other nutrients growing children need.
• Mini pizzas – cheese, salsa on a whole grain English muffin
• Grab and go snacks – granola bars, cheese sticks, trail mix, popcorn, dried or fresh fruit.
• Let your kids enjoy some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with a glass of cow’s milk.
• Check out “35 Tasty Mom Approved Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes” – fun snacks any kid would enjoy. 

 

When grocery shopping this week, choose some healthy snack options to have on hand for you and for your kids.  Let your kids help make some snacks and they will be more likely to eat and enjoy them.  Pack some snacks to take to work or when running errands.  Much healthier than vending machines or a Fast Food drive through. 

 Sources:  snacks , Food Insight , survey , KidsHealth , healthy , feeds , Starbucks , kids , Healthy After-School Snacks for Kids , 35 Tasty Mom Approved Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes  Image Sources:  Peanut Butter and Jelly tacos , Chips   , After School