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The real goal of snacks is to help fill in the
areas your children are coming up short, nutritionally, in the course
of a day. Try to make every calorie count by packing snacks with
as much nutrition as possible, and limiting "empty" calories,
like soda and classic "junk" foods, which provide sugar
and calories, but few nutrients.
Variety and fun in snacks and meals will help
provide the most well-rounded, nutritious diet, and may even help
change a "picky" eater into an agreeable and willing taster.
Be ready for Snack Attacks!
Stock your refrigerator
and cabinets with ready-to-go snacks: yogurt, lean deli
meats, fruit juice, milk, string cheese, microwave popcorn, crackers-and-cheese
or crackers-and-peanut butter packages, pretzels, washed, ready-to-eat
fruits and veggies, raisins, animal crackers and cereal.
There's nothing wrong
with chocolate milk, as long as it's made with low- or non-fat
milk for kids over 2, providing they're not underweight.
If your child doesn't
like or tolerate milk and dairy, which are excellent sources of
calcium, try calcium-fortified orange juice, or other calcium-fortified,
100% fruit juice.
The best snacks are fun and easy to prepare.
Graham Crackers and Peanut
Butter
An energy-packed combination of carbohydrates and protein. Great
on the go.
Fruit Kabobs
Give 'em an excuse to play with their food! Cut up fresh fruit
into bite-sized pieces, slide them onto wooden skewer sticks,
roll them in smooth-style yogurt until covered, then roll again
in granola, coconut, raisins, or use your imagination.
Bite-Size Pizzas
Top Melba Toast rounds or mini-bagels with 1-2 teaspoons each
spaghetti sauce, then sprinkle with shredded, part-skim mozzarella
cheese, and broil in toaster oven or broiler for 1-2 minutes,
just until cheese melts.
Fruity Freeze Pops
Mix a few kinds of 100% juice together, then freeze into pops.
Or, freeze different
juices, one at a time, in layers, for rainbow ices.
Check out some of my favorite sites:
www.kidshealth.org
www.cspinet.org/cgi-bin/smartmouth
www.nutritionexplorations.org
www.usda.gov/news/usdakids
www.keepkidshealthy.com
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