Submitted by: Christina Major
We are back to school. The one big aspect of after school snacks is that usually they are quite unhealthy. But there is a really great way you can make some delicious, fun and with tremendous nutritional potential.
Kids in school face a difficult task of trying to find healthy foods within their cafeteria. White bread, pasta and sugar dominates. This is the unfortunate result of a few commercial companies deciding what foods to serve our kids based on money, not nutrition. White pastas and bread are cheap because they are devoid of nutrients and can sit on a shelf for months. Healthy foods, like vegetables and fruits, are more expensive because they require delicate handling, refrigeration and rapid turnover.
Yes, low-quality sugary snacks are cheap, easy and convenient. But like just about everything else that comes in a box, they are not health. The very nature of being in a box removes many of the healthy components from the food.
What s a parent to do?
The first and biggest thing is to not buy sugary snacks. Take a look at your ingredient list on anything you buy. I’m sure you’ll find sugar and sugar substitutes in just about everything. This means that your kids will not be able to concentrate on homework, but will be bouncing off the walls with the extra sugar.
So what’s left? Stick with fruits and vegetables. They’ll give your kids an extra dose of healthy nutrients and brain boosting vitamins.
Do your kids insist on only having unhealthy, sugary snacks for treats? Be firm. It’s their health in the balance. They will switch from a desire for sugar to a desire for healthy foods in time. I’ve seen this in my business many times.
Here are ideas kids will really enjoy: fruit and vegetables with peanut butter and chocolate spreads that are used lightly, finger food so they can play and making their own snacks. Kids take pride in what they do themselves and if they can make their own healthy snacks, will be more likely to eat them.
Here are a few recipes that you try at home:
Apples with almond butter! Kids love PB and this is a great way to get them to eat a serving of fruits!
-100% Whole wheat wraps with sliced vegetables and a healthy, low sugar dressing (low fat dressings are a marketing trick since most are not low fat and the trivial amount they add makes a very tiny difference)
Sweet Potato Fries! Slice sweet potatoes and sprinkle with spice. Cook at 425 in the oven and a half hour and serve with ketchup!
– Frozen Juice Pops In an ice cube tray, freeze high quality juice that still has the pulp in it. These taste great and are really healthy treats, especially in warmer weather.
Mix frozen fruit with plain, full fat yogurt (this kind has all the vitamins). Mix and you get a treat that s just like ice cream!
There are hundreds of different kinds of healthy recipes online. Just make sure your recipes have the basics: mostly vegetable, kid enjoyable and a little sweetness.
About the Author: Christina Major is a Holistic Nutritionist, ND, owner of Crystal Holistic Health (
CrystalHolisticHealth.com
). She works with exceptional people who are ready to take charge of their health and recover from the diseases of modern society: Type II Diabetes, High Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure.
Source:
isnare.com
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