Healthy Snacks To Include In Your Child s Diet!

A balanced nutrition diet is very important for a child because good nutrition reduces the risk of chronic diseases. An undernutrition child would have less energy and even lesser interest in learning that can affect mental abilities. A child’s diet also play a major role in developing the physical growth. Also, unhealthy eating habits can contribute to obesity, so mothers can consider the following healthy snack ideas for their kids.

A complete diet plans for kids should be maintained that include healthy snacks for kids that can be consumed after-school or in day time. The mother of child can come up with certain creative ideas to make healthy food flavorful that might seem attractive to the kid.

A common misconception in people’s mind is that ‘kid food’ is ‘fun food’. However, most of these foods are processed using chemicals and have zero nutritional value. Such food items should not be included in kid’s diet. A health care professional can also assist child’s parents to prepare a complete diet plan that should consist of healthy snack and not just ‘fun food’.

Some of the healthy snacks for kids that they can munch upon in mid day are:

1. Fruits

Your kid should be encouraged to eat fresh fruits instead of canned juices, made up of artificial sugars. Fruits are rich source of vitamins and dietary fiber and should be consumed on daily basis. It is very rightly said that ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’.

2. Sandwiches

Almost every child loves sandwiches and mothers can make it using green leafy vegetables which will ultimately include lots of good things in the child’s diet. Cheese and eggs can also be added to increase the nutritional value of sandwiches.

3. Frankie/Rolls

Children get attracted to creative things and frankie is among their favourite snacks. It can be made healthier by including vegetables like mushrooms and carrots, making it full of goodness.

4. Milk shakes

Milk shakes are a great way to include dry fruits such as almonds, date and walnuts in the diet plan of your child. You can also add some chocolate powder to make it attractive for kids. This is a very healthy snack because milk is extremely important for your child’s growth.

5. Ragi Cookies

Instead of munching upon biscuits that are made up of trans fat, you can prepare Ragi cookies for your kids. Ragi cookies are a rich source of calcium and is a perfect mid day snack. It is low in fat and has lots of energy.

6. Dhokla

Dhokla is a traditional snack loaded with nutrients like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus. It can be included in diet routine of the child. The snack is not only good in taste but has several health benefits too.
 
There are also certain food that you might think is good for your child but it is actually not. Such food should not be regarded as healthy snacks and should be avoided being eaten. Some of the food items that should not be included in your kid’s diet plan are:

1. Energy bars

One might believe that energy bars are full of proteins and can be proved nutritious for the child. However, it is not the case. These energy bars have a very high content of sugar due to which they should be avoided and must not be called as healthy snack.

2. Peanut butter

Children love the taste of peanut butter and their mothers think it is healthy source of energy. But, it has been found that peanut butter consist of lots of calories and fillers, making it not a very good snack for your kids.

3. Fruit Juice

Your child must have a habit of eating fresh fruits instead of packaged juice. A lot of nutrients present in the fruit are absent when taken in the form of juice. Moreover, the packed fruit juice contains added sugars and preservatives which are proven to be very unhealthy for one’s health.

4. Vegetables chips

Vegetables chips are as unhealthy as the regular potato chips. It contains hydrogenated oils that are harmful for your child. It should never be included in the diet plans for kids.

Nutrition plays a key role in the development of your child’s growth and development and only a healthy diet can enhance the physical and mental well-being of your kid. If your kid is under-nourished, he could face long term problems in his life. Hence, parents must be very particular about diet plans for kids and should try to include healthy snacks for kids in it for their better health and lifestyle.