Making healthy lifestyle changes doesn’t mean your children have to stop snacking. In fact, snacking can be an important part of a child’s diet, providing necessary nutrients and energy for their growing bodies. However, it can be helpful to encourage mindful snacking by offering healthy snack options.
Before handing over a snack, it’s worth considering why your child wants it. Are they snacking out of boredom, habit or thirst? Are they actually hungry? Understanding the reason can help guide healthier choices.
Here are some top tips and ideas to support you.
Top tips for snack routines:
- Think about your portion sizes- you can read our handy guide on portion sizes
- Have two healthy snacks per day – we’ve prepared some snack ideas below
- Plan your children’s snacks for each week – this will help you prepare for when they’re asking for something to eat
Healthy snack ideas
- Veggie sticks (cucumber, pepper, carrots, baby corn) with two spoons of reduced-fat dips
- Three breadsticks
- Two rice cakes
- One small toasted pitta
- One crumpet
- 1/2 bagel with low-fat spread
- A small bowl of home-made popcorn
- Piece or bowl of fruit
- Handful of plain nuts and dried fruit mix
- 150 ml of homemade fruit smoothie.
Remember, the key to healthy snacking is balance and moderation. By incorporating these tips and snack ideas into your routine, you can help your children develop healthy eating habits that will benefit them for a lifetime.
