It's a fact: children will eat snacks, both at school and at home, when they are hungry. By planning ahead, parents can make sure their children eat what's best for them between meals. One way to plan ahead for quick and easy snacking is keeping containers full of snack foods that are low in sugar and fat. Place one in the cupboard and one in the refrigerator. And let the children help fill them once a week.
The refrigerator container might include carrots, celery and apples, as well as pudding, yogurt and peanut butter sandwiches. Many kids will also enjoy cheese slices and orange wedges.
The container in the cupboard could have whole-wheat crackers and bread slices, unsweetened cereal, pretzels and raisins.
At school, kids might have access to vending machines that offer less healthy choices than snacks you can make at home. Teach your kids that some snacks are better than others. Encourage them to look for nuts, fruit, pretzels and beef jerky.
Some vending machines offer water and 100% fruit juice. If you make a habit of offering these at home, your kids may learn to prefer them over sugary sodas.
Help your children develop a healthy snack habit. Teach them which snacks are best and provide healthy snacks at home. And don't allow too much snacking—you don't want them to spoil their dinner