Healthy Food Choices: Snacks for Preschoolers

Video Transcript

MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we're going to talk about some healthy snacks for preschoolers. For preschoolers, it's very hard to get all the nutrients they need into three meals a day. Their little stomachs just can't handle it. Therefore, it's very important to incorporate some snacks into their daily routine. Also, as a child, they can't make responsible decisions regarding their nutrition, and parents are going to be relied on to do that for them. Don't be surprised if your child goes through a feeding [SOUNDS LIKE] jag either. A feeding jag is where they only eat one thing for a long period of time. It may be that for that particular week the only thing they would eat was chicken nuggets. Food jags are something that they're going to outgrow so don't worry about that. As far as the snacks go, why don't you try going crazy for calcium. Some good sources of calcium and good healthy snacks for your preschooler would be something like pudding, string cheese, yogurt. Another thing that you might want to do is incorporate some whole grains. You can have a small portion of cereal with low-fat or skim milk, some whole wheat crackers with some low-fat peanut butter or a low-fat cheese spread on them. Dried fruit is a good way to incorporate some fruits and vegetables into their diet: a little box of raisins as you head out the door, some small carrots for dipping into ranch dressing or some grapes. Just be careful that it's not a choking hazard. So remember with preschoolers, it's important, one, that not only do they have three meals but to incorporate some snacks in those meals as well. Number two, as a parent, you're going to be responsible for making those decisions, try to choose healthy foods from all the food groups. And number three, if your child doesn't like it this week try it again next week. Their taste buds and their attitudes about food change all the time.