When I ask members if they snack, they’re usually proud to say they don’t – or that they try not to. However, I do think snacks are important, they bring in nutrition to provide the mind and body with steady energy throughout the day.
Snacks are a lot more important as kids are so active, and need the energy to grow. I know we all want to avoid blood sugar lows that usually cause those emotional meltdowns!
From what I've experienced, the most common complaint from kids is that there aren’t any good snacks in the house. That’s because I insist that snacks are nutritional and not overly processed. So when they complain about that, I ask my kids…
- Have you had fruit for a snack today?
- Did you have some yogurt or make yourself a smoothie?
- Did you have a handful of whole grain crackers with avocado or cheese?
- Did you have some nuts?
If they answer yes to all of the above, that's when I give the ok to a less nutrient-dense snack like bread (which they love to eat with just butter), pretzels or Goldfish crackers.
Nut allergy? Seeds can be a good replacement.
Need dairy-free? You can try coconut yogurt, it tastes good with fruit mixed in.
When we’re on the go, we have granola bars in the house with less sugar, plus more protein and fibre, like KIND bars. You can also make your own snack bars with this easy recipe:
Homemade Snack Bars
½ cup peanut butter (peanuts only) or another nut butter
½ cup honey
- Melt together in pot on stove
- Add any of the following until thick:
Unsweetened coconut
Dried cranberries
Puffed cereal
Raisins
Dried fruit (chopped)
Oatmeal
Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin)
Nuts
- Spread into buttered 9” x 9” glass pan and slice into bars.
- Refrigerate for a couple of hours to set.
If you have any questions about nutrition for you or your family – or you have a subject you’d like me to touch on in a future newsletter please feel free to email me!
