Good nutrition is key to your child's development and health, whether she's a toddler or a teenager. While you may have control over the food she eats at home, you don't have that same control while she's at school or preschool. Seeing to it that she has healthy snacks to get through the day will keep her full and focused while also teaching her the value of good health and showing her how much you care.
Feeding Your Child
Young children have smaller stomachs than adults, so they can only eat small amounts of food at one time. Because of this, children can easily become hungry. Make sure your child has three meals and two snacks every day. This pattern will ensure that your child has access to food at least every four hours, helping him stave off hunger until his next meal. This schedule will also help your child learn to eat only when he is hungry. If he isn't hungry at snack time, he knows that lunch is only a few hours away.
What is a Snack?
Snacking throughout the day is only beneficial if what your child is eating is truly a snack and not just a treat. A snack should be a minimeal, with a combination of protein and carbohydrate, designed to power your child until her next meal; a treat is a once-in-awhile food that is less nutritious, such as cookies or candy. Snacks should also be low in sodium, added sugar and calories -- fewer than 250 -- and should provide adequate amounts of important nutrients, including vitamin C, fiber, calcium and iron.
Benefits of Snacking
Because children are still growing, they often need more calories and nutrients than adults. Regularly providing your child with healthy snacks can help to close this gap and provide him with the nutrition he needs. Additionally, it is important for your child to eat at least every four hours; having scheduled snack times at school can help her feel energized and focused.
Healthy Snack Ideas
A healthy snack should have a combination of carbohydrate and protein and should also be appropriately sized. Try sending your child to school with two tbsp. of hummus and vegetable sticks -- carrots, celery, jicama or bell peppers, which provide a variety of nutrients. A sliced apple with a tbsp. of peanut or almond butter, low fat cheese slices with whole-grain crackers, or half a cup of fruit and nut trail mix are also great snack ideas. If the classroom has a refrigerator, low-fat yogurt topped with fruit or granola or even a bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk are appropriate.
Considerations
If your child's preschool provides snacks, find out what they are, and if you don't consider them nutritious enough, ask if your child can pack her own snacks. Also check on any rules regarding food allergies. Some schools may be peanut, wheat, soy, or dairy free.
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