Kids Nutrition

Kids actually need to snack between meals as part of a healthy diet. Why? Their bodies are smaller and yet they need more calories per pound of body weight than adults (1). Relying on just 3 meals a day makes it difficult for kids to get all the nutrients and calories their growing bodies need. Eating as often as six times a day is ideal. Nutritious snacks can play a vital role in boosting their energy and providing them with the essential nutrients their bodies need.

Studies show that most kids get 25% of their daily calorie needs from snacks (2), so it is important to ensure they eat the right kinds of snacks. Unfortunately, most kids snack on foods that are at the top of the food pyramid (e.g., chips, candy, soft drinks), which are high in calories, fat, sugar and often low in essential nutrients such as calcium. The best impact a parent can have on the food choices kids make at snacktime is to set a good example. JungleGrub may have been formulated with kids taste and nutrients in mind, but it is just as good for parents! It’s a great tasting snack with only a 100 calories and it will give you the energy you need to make it between meals.

Not sure what to look for in a good snack?

A good place to start is reviewing the guidelines set by a California State Senate bill called SB-19. SB-19 has set limits on the amount of fat and sugar a healthy snack food should have. According to SB-19 a snack should have:

  • No more than 35% of its calories from fat
  • No more than 10% of its calories from saturated fat
  • No more than 35% sugar by weight

 

Remember…snacktime should be fun and the kids should like what they eat. It’s OK to let them have snacks that are high in sugar and simple carbs. as long as it is done in moderation.

Since most kids have a sweet tooth when it comes to snacktime, we added a nonfat vanilla yogurt icing for a taste of sweetness in each bite. Our goal was to provide kids with a nutritious snack that tastes sweet like the snacks they crave.

What’s in most other nutritious and breakfast bars?

We know the competition is tough and many times have seen large corporations make decisions to sacrifice quality for keeping profits up and costs down. This strategy is a winning proposition for many firms but a losing one for the consumer.  In the food industry the decision to decrease the product cost often results in impacting the health and well-being of consumers in ways they probably never suspect. Substituting low quality and low cost ingredients can even enhance the sweetness of junk food, making it more irresistible to kids, and ultimately leading to higher consumption of these packaged foods full of “empty calories” - one of the most common examples of this is the substitution of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) for good old fashioned cane sugar.  Poor quality foods with highly processed ingredients leave kids feeling moody and unmotivated…barely getting through the day!  I think I know some adults like that too! Go to the high-fructose corn syrup challenge to learn more.

Remember choose USDA organic when you can, and if it’s not available, read the label to make sure there’s no HFCS, trans fat, partially hydrogenated oils of any variety, and an excessive amount of sugar.

References

  1. The American Dietetic Association. Snacking Habits for Healthy Living. Minneapolis, MN: Chronimed Publ., 1997.
  2. Rallie McAllister, MD, Snacking Done Right; Keepkidshealthy.com: February 19,2004.