During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
Why?
Because it’s National Nutrition Month!
Nutrition is a critical element of a child’s health and well-being, and the pediatric dietitian teams at SSM Health are dedicated to ensuring that parents are educated on how to help kids make healthy choices the next time they head for a snack.
- Schedule snacks for your kids. This helps them from becoming too full at mealtime or too hungry in between meals. It can also help prevent them from grazing or snacking due to boredom throughout the day.
- Pair at least two food groups for every snack for your kids. Pairing two food groups helps kids with satiety, which is a combination of satisfaction and fullness. A piece of fruit and a cheese stick is a great example.
- Prioritize proteins, fruits and vegetables.
- Plan and prepare snacks for your children ahead of time. This ensures healthy, nutritious snacks are readily available when your child needs them. Rinsing fruits and vegetables in advance and making your own trail mix can save time and effort in the long run.
- Be mindful when snacking. Gather family around for meal or snack time and have a dedicated eating space, like a table. Modeling the behavior of eating with your child can help them form a good relationship with food.
SSM Health Pediatric Dietitian, Rose Weisenstein elaborates on her five tips for healthy snacking in kids in this video.
