This subject is so extensive that I am quite sure it will be part 1 of 2 (maybe 3???). Snacks are so often confused with "special treats" (ie; candy, soda, ice cream, potatoe chips etc, etc,....) that it's enough to want to ban all snacks from my child's menu!
But snacks are essential for children because they have small stomachs. However, whatever snacking my daughter does throughout the day (according to nutritionists) should provide only about 20% of her total calories. Nutritionists recommend that toddlers get 3 snacks a day; preschoolers & school-age kids up to 8, two; kids 9 & older, one.
But even more important than how much she nibbles is what she nibbles on! The 1st step I took was to try to stop thinking of snacks as something prepackaged. That's because, in most cases, a prepackaged snack is sweet or salty-in other words, calorie-packed! In our house we call that a treat.
Do you have a favorite healthy snack your child loves? Please share them with me!!!! Next time we'll talk about how to make small changes in the snacks we serve....
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I never thought of separating snacks from treats. What a great way to train your child to think of them differently.
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