Hey Moms…..Pay attention to your children’s snacks
Snacking is a major pastime for many children.so much so that nearly one-fourth of kids’ daily energy intake comes from nibbling between meals.The snack foods, which are high in calories and low in nutrients are responsible for the childhood-obesity epidemic. But snacking itself isn’t necessarily bad. The content of your child’s snacks is what’s most important. Providing healthy snack choices now will help your children learn to make healthy food choices in the future.
Certain foods may cause choking in children. Avoid raw vegetables, popcorn, nuts or peanuts, and dried fruits.Children often prefer fruit juice to water or fresh fruit because juice tastes better to them. And many parents allowing their children to drink almost unlimited amounts juice, since juice is promoted as a good source of nutrition.Avoid Sugary snacks which cause cavities. Try to have a selection of vegetables already cut up and ready to eat in the refrigerator.Healthy choices may include Microwave popcorn,Low-sugar, whole-grain cereals,Low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese or yogurt.
Don’t forget to be a good role model for your children. You can’t expect them to be content with broccoli and low-fat milk when you’re washing down your potato chips with a quart of sugary carbonation.Your children’s snacking habits aren’t going to change overnight, but look for positive changes over weeks and months. Teaching your children to make healthy snack choices today will reap your whole family an entire lifetime of benefits.
