Keeping Kids' Snacks Healthy
More children are overweight than ever before. Poor eating habits along with inadequate exercise and genetic factors all play a role in childhood obesity. Children with overweight parents are at increased risk of becoming overweight themselves. The health risks associated with obesity are numerous and well documented. They include heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes and an increased risk of developing some forms of cancer. About 15 percent of children and teens 6 to 19 years are overweight. The prevalence of overweight children has tripled since 1980. Also, more than 10 percent of children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight, up from 7 percent in 1994. From the time parents first introduce table food into their child's diet, they begin to set the tone for the development of their child's eating habits. Good eating habits are learned, and parents must serve as good role models if they expect their children to make healthy food choices later on in life. Growing children need more food energy than they can consume during a single meal. Nutritious, well-planned snacks are a vital part of your child's diet and can account for as much as 20 percent of your child's daily energy and nutrient needs. Think of kids' snack time as a planned mini meal and not a spur of the moment indulgence. Deciding when, how much and what types of snack foods to serve your children are important considerations in planning your child's overall diet. Planning healthy kid snacks When planning your family's meals and snacks, begin with MyPyramid.gov. MyPyramid, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), can help you find the kinds and amounts of foods your kids should eat each day. Enter your child's age, gender, and activity level, and get your own plan at an appropriate calorie level. The food plan includes specific daily amounts from each food group and a limit for discretionary calories (fats and added sugars). The pyramid and its accompanying tools help kids learn - in a fun and interactive way - how to stay healthy by eating right and exercising. Kids can go to the Web (http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/kids_game.html) and play MyPyramid Blast Off, a computer game that lets them plan meals by selecting from each food group. Is there other information that is helpful for planning snacks? Nutrition experts agree that no food should be labeled "good" or "bad." It is, therefore, recommended you do not totally eliminate snack choices just because of the calorie, fat or sugar content. All foods in moderation (yes, that includes candy bars and chips) can fit into your child's diet. The key to healthy snacking is in providing a balance of food choices that your child can enjoy. Make it a point to read the Nutrition Facts label that now appears on most processed or prepared food products. These labels provide useful information about serving size, total calories and calories from carbohydrates, protein and fat along with information on other nutrients contained in the food. In addition to the Nutrition Facts label, food manufacturers are now required to list on the label, in descending order, the weight of all ingredients in a food product. Choose snacks that do not have sugar, salt (sodium) or oils listed as the prime ingredients. Getting kids involved You can begin to involve your child in planning a healthy diet by offering many nutritious options. Develop a list of possible food choices, and then allow your child help choose the snack foods that are purchased. Even if your children do not go to the supermarket with you, they can be involved in deciding which snacks to buy. Children feel better when they have something to say about what they eat, and you can avoid snack time battles if you allow them to have some input in their food choices. Teach your children about MyPyramid.gov allow your children to participate in meal preparation. Reinforce the importance of selecting a variety of foods each day. During mealtimes, ask your child to identify which food groups are represented on their plate. 
Provided by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) If you are having difficulty getting your child to comply with the MyPyramid recommendations, begin keeping a food diary for your child. Offer to reward your child when their food diary shows that during one week a variety of foods were eaten each day. Guidelines and suggestions
- Prepare snacks that are kid-friendly. When serving fruits and vegetables, offer them in bite-size portions. Some fruits, such as grapes and strawberries, come naturally in smaller sizes. Other fruits and vegetables, such as apples, pears and carrots, can be cut up into sizes that children can easily manage. Try to prepare snacks in advance, whenever possible. If healthy snacks are readily available, your children will be more likely to choose them when hunger strikes.
- Offer low-fat dips to accompany healthy food choices. Children eat more fruits and vegetables when they are served with yogurt dips and low-fat salad dressings.
- Select only juices that are 100 percent juice. All fruit drinks are required to list the ingredients on the label. Many products that advertise themselves as "fruit juices" contain no more than 10 percent juice. Avoid soft drinks whenever possible.
- Limit cookies, doughnuts, brownies and other baked goods. Instead serve bagels, rice cakes or tortillas, and allow your child to add a bit of peanut butter, jam or low-fat cream cheese to their selections. Children also enjoy mixing several types of ready to eat cereals together for a snack.
- Limit chips and other salty, high-fat snacks. Instead, offer baked pretzels, air-popped popcorn, dry cereal, granola or low-fat cheese and whole grain crackers.
- Find ways to increase your child's calcium intake. Buy plain or flavored low-fat yogurt and allow children to make individual sundaes, using healthy toppings such as fruit and granola. Add a little flavored syrup to a glass of milk for a special treat. Allow your child to help prepare a milkshake or smoothie made with low fat milk, yogurt and fruit.
- Plan ahead when going on family outings. Instead of buying snacks at fast-food restaurants or concession stands, pack individual snack bags, filled with pretzels, nuts and dried fruit to take along with you.
- Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine affects children the same way as adults and should be offered only in small amounts, if at all.
- Avoid classifying foods as "good" or "bad." There are only bad diets - when foods high in sugar, salt and fat are eaten in excess. All snack foods can be enjoyed in moderation.
- Don't be swayed by advertising. Many prepared foods that are marketed as kid-friendly are poor in nutrition. For example, Oscar Mayer's Lunchables® that come with a treat and a drink get two-thirds of their calories from fat and sugar.
Sources: American Dietetic Association Center for Science in the Public Interest US Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Published by the Department of Agriculture
This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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