As an adult monitoring your own health, you may pay attention to what you eat after a particularly rewarding workout. After all, in the 30 to 90 minutes after physical activity, your body is primed to take in more nutrients — meaning you should take time when planning post-workout meals.
Have you applied the same care when feeding your children after their physical activities? Just like your adult body, children’s bodies are more apt to absorb nutrients after physical activity. Giving them sugary drinks or fast food after dance class or soccer practice can undo all the good they did while being active.
Need quick ideas when it comes to healthy snacks for kids? Here are our suggestions!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
Instead of Crackers or Chips
It’s easy to fall back on prepackaged, not so healthy snacks for kids such as potato chips and salty crackers. While these foods might be convenient, they provide little nutritional value to your kiddos. Healthy snacks for kids like whole-grain crackers, bananas, low-fat cheese sticks, slices of apples or oranges, unsalted almonds, plain fat-free yogurt, and carrot sticks can provide your children with vitamins and minerals, taking full advantage of their post-activity peak. Take a little time on the weekend to prepare pre-portioned healthy snacks for kids so that you can grab them on the go for after-school activities or play dates.
You might be tempted to reward your child’s efforts with something sweet. Instead of reaching for fatty, empty calorie-filled candy bars or brownie bites, opt for the natural sweetness found in these healthy snacks for kids. Frozen bananas or grapes are a fun treat; so are baked apples, raisins, canned fruit in natural, unsweetened juices, and fresh or dried fruit. Ask your kids what fruits they love best, and if they go grocery shopping with you, let them pick out their own fruits at the store! Again, all of these healthy snacks for kids can be pre-portioned into sandwich bags or travel containers to help you get out the door quickly.
Instead of Sugary Drinks
Thinking of swinging by a fast food joint to get your kids a quick drink after basketball practice? Reconsider. Sugary beverages like soda provide almost no nutritional value. Substitute them with these healthy snacks for kids, like 100% fruit juice, fat-free or 1% milk, low-sodium vegetable juice, or plain old water. After activity, your kids need to stay hydrated — and by avoiding sugary drinks and sticking to these healthy snacks for kids, you’ll ensure that their bodies have the moisture content they need.
For more ideas on healthy snacks for kids, check out our past posts: