The snack is one of the meals of the day that help children stay healthy and healthy until bedtime. Between lunch and dinner, they need a nutritional contribution and is children's snack an also important meal. But is any snack worth it?
Not all. Many times the rush or comfort make us give our children incomplete or inappropriate snacks. Here we leave some tips to make children's snack healthy, good habits that will reduce the risk of being overweight, for example.
It includes cereals: the bread for a small snack, can sometimes be exchanged for cookies or cereals. These give the little one the energy necessary for the proper functioning of his muscles and his brain. Remember that the sandwiches should not be very large (to accommodate the rest of important foods) and that the healthiest flee from pate, black pudding, sausage, cocoa creams ... The most recommended are serrano ham, ham or cooked turkey, loin ...
Includes dairy products to complete the daily rations (if you are going to drink milk at dinner and already have breakfast, it is not necessary). We talk about a glass of milk, a natural yogurt or fruit, or a piece of fresh cheese ... These are foods rich in calcium and protein, necessary for growth.
It includes fruit or vegetables. To get to the five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, it will surely be necessary to include one in the snack. It is possible to reach that recommendation if in the middle of the afternoon we offer you grapes, melon, orange (also in juice), banana ... Or cherry, cucumber or carrot tomatoes to accompany the sandwich. Vitamins, fiber, hydration ... are some of the important contributions of these foods.
Nuts (natural, not fried or salted) can also be part of the snack from time to time (for over three years).
Avoid unplanned snacks, because we fall in packages of cookies, chips, salty snacks or industrial buns, which contain fat, sugar or excess salts. The international scientific community has been warning for many years about the influence of this type of food on the increase in obesity in the world. They are foods that contribute little nutritionally and taken usually harm health.
Accompany the snack with water (also juices or natural shakes or milk), instead of sugary drinks or soft drinks, which favor obesity and tooth decay.
Snack in action. Better to have a snack in the park or playing together at home or sitting at the table talking than allowing children to snack watching television or in front of the computer alone.
Adjust the portions. Young children will take small amounts of each food, it should not be taken out if they have to eat dinner later. As they grow, we will see how they are demanding larger portions.
We hope these tips help you make children's snacks healthy meals, establishing good habits for the future. We must bear in mind that this is not always compatible with comfort or speed, but it is essential that we do not give up, for the sake of your health.
