Smart Snacking

Almost everyone eats snacks. Some adults can do OK with 3 big meals a day, but for many of us, snacks are important to help get us through to the next meal time. Children especially need snacks because they have very high energy needs and small stomachs. They cannot get enough of what they need from 3 meals. Plan for your child to have 2-3 snacks and 3 meals each day. 3 meals alone may not be enough!

For kids, snacks can either help their nutrition or hurt their nutrition. Snacks will hurt their nutrition if:

• Children are allowed to snack or "graze" all day and whenever they want. Little contraptions exist now that allow toddlers to carry around cereals or little "puffs" and eat them all day. This is not really a good idea. Neither is allowing your child or toddler to carry around a sippy cup or bottle. What happens when children do this is that they do not eat very well at mealtimes because they are not hungry. No wonder! They have been eating and drinking all day! Some children get rotten teeth from eating and drinking constantly as well...


• Snacks are given as rewards for eating at mealtime. This can teach a child to overeat.


• Snacks are given any time the child does not want to eat their meal. This can cause a picky eater.


• They are given too close to the next meal time.

Snacks can help your child's nutrition if

• They are planned to be about 2-3 hours before their next meal.


• They are eaten at the table or high chair only.


• They contain nutritious foods. Try to regularly have snacks that contain milk, cheese, yogurt, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Remeber that snacks help fill nutrition gaps and should really be considered "mini meals".

For a good snack try to have one energy food (carbohydrate) and one growing food (protein).

Energy foods are foods like: bread, crackers, cereals, tortillas, fruit, vegetables, juice (only once a day)

Growing foods are foods like: milk, cheese, yogurt, meats,beans, peanut butter, nuts, eggs

Here are some examples of snacks that contain both types of foods. These snacks will help your child feel full and happy until their next meal:

• Fruit and Cheese


• Cereal and Milk


• Crackers with cheese or peanut butter


• Half of a sandwich (with peanut butter, cheese, or meat)


• Fruit and milk


• Graham crackers and milk


• Fruit or vegetable juice and string cheese

- Allison Leonard RD