When kids get hunger pangs between meals, requests for unhealthy snacks like chips and candy usually follow. However, regularly consuming unhealthy snack foods can promote childhood obesity, Penn State University reports. Giving your kids high fiber snacks can help them stay satisfied longer between meals and support a healthy body weight.
Portable Veggies
Convenient fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes, sliced bell peppers and baby carrots are fiber-rich snacks that many kids love. Increasing the vegetable intake of children at a high risk for obesity helps keep extra weight at bay, reports Leonard H. Epstein of the State University of New York. In a study published in the October 2000 edition of "Obesity Research," Epstein found that children who ate the highest amounts of vegetables while decreasing sugar intake tended to be at a healthier body weight when compared to children who seldom ate vegetables.
Fruit Smoothies
Giving your child a healthy fruit smoothie on a warm afternoon can satisfy their sweet tooth and their craving for a cold drink at the same time. All it takes is a mixture of blueberries, strawberries and bananas with ice, skim milk or low-fat yogurt to create a fibrous cold treat. For an extra fiber kick, add fiber-rich flax seed or wheat germ. Fresh fruit is preferable to fruit juice, as fresh fruit contains more dietary fiber and less sugar than juice, the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital reports.
Parfait
A yogurt parfait with low-fat yogurt, whole grain granola and fresh fruit is a kid-friendly high-fiber snack that also provides them with a number of important vitamins and minerals. The calcium in yogurt helps kids build strong bones during childhood, reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Granola and other whole grain cereals are rich in nutrients like vitamin C and folic acid that support growth and development.
Nuts
Nuts like almonds and peanuts are a crunchy snack choice that are rich in dietary fiber. However, because nuts are rich in fat and calories they should be eaten in moderation. Just 1 oz. of almonds contains nearly 4 g of fiber, the USDA Nutrient Database reports. To partially avoid this downside, provide your kids with nuts that are free of added oil, sugar and salt.
References
- Penn State University: Preventing Childhood Obesity: Encourage Healthy Eating Habits
- "Obesity Research": Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Decreasing Fat and Sugar Intake in Families at Risk for Childhood Obesity; Leonard H. Epstein; October 2000
- UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital: Sweet Drinks and Obesity
- USDA Nutrient Database
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