Healthy Snacks; Healthy Child
As pre-schoolers would rather play than sit down to eat, snacking is a clever way of getting them to take in the right nutrients.
At this age kids are also more exposed to peers eating sweets, salty fried snacks and cool drinks, so it’s the time to push healthier alternatives.
Here's How
● One biscuit, tea and raisins top up on energy, iron and vitamins.
● Yoghurt and fruit (fresh, stewed or dried) contain fibre and proteins and minerals like calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
● Good for growing teeth: a daily cheese portion combined with two or three biscuits and baby tomatoes or cucumber. Cheese eaten after something that tends to stick to teeth (like bread) also helps fight tooth decay.
● Cereal with milk and a handful of nuts is perfect for kids on the run. It provides energy and calcium, as well as essential fats and magnesium from the nuts.
● Drinking yoghurt (100 ml) and a small packet of plain crisps are a healthier choice than sweets or a carbonated drink.
Offer Variety
Snacks provide a large proportion of a young child’s nutritional intake, so use this opportunity to offer various healthy combinations and variety.
Retain Control
Children are too young to make appropriate choices to support their development. Allow your child some choice by offering favourite foods with meals, but include other foods…explaining the pro’s and con’s of what we put into our bodies. Re-invent old favourites such as a flavoured yoghurt or cereal and fruit by serving them in cartoon character bowls, cutlery spoons, straws or placemats.
Expect Changing Eating Habits
Your child might start refusing old staples, or begin asking for the same food at every meal. She also may experience a decrease in appetite as growth slows, and get easily distracted from eating by the world around her.