Afternoon Snack Ideas When Concerned About Your Child’s Weight
Do you worry about the best snack to give your child when concerned about their weight? You want your child to feel satisfied and happy with the choice, and have it support their health.
I get it. I hear this from parents all the time. Between the birthday parties, treats at school, family gatherings and play dates how do you give enough nutritious snacks to ensure it doesn’t cause more weight gain?
You know your child like cookies, fruit leather, chips and peanut butter pretzels. But are these the best options?
The key is you want your child to feel satisfied with the snack. The way to do this is to have the snack help stabilize their blood sugar. When blood sugar is stabilized through a balanced snack, cravings decrease and the snack will likely hold your child over until the next meal.
Typical snacks may be chips and dried fruit, or cookies and raisins, fruit and Pirates Booty. There is no food off limits, but what these snacks have in common is they have multiple carbohydrates in each snack. Carbohydrates are important quick energy, but they won’t balance blood sugar.
The key to afternoon snacks is provide a balance of one carbohydrate (fruit, grain, starch) with a protein or a fat. The protein or fat will help keep your child satisfied longer. The protein will help stabilize their blood sugar, which is a key to maintaining a healthy weight.
Here are some examples:
grapes + cheese stick
apple + a spoonful of nut butter
strawberries + pistachios
baked tortilla chips + guacamole
vegetables dipped in hummus
turkey and cheese roll up + fruit or Pirates Booty
Small quesadilla topped with a dollop of guacamole
Do you see the trend? Each snacks has a carbohydrate paired with a protein or fat. I have found that when balancing afternoon snacks, kids are more satisfied, cravings decrease and blood sugars stay steady, which helps when concerned about their weight. Next is to work on balancing meals in the same way.
If you found these tips helpful and need expert guidance to help your child or teen lose weight, watch a free parent training video created just for you at balancemyplate.com.
#childhoodobesity #obesity #fitness #childhood #weightlossjourney #healthykids #weightloss #obesityawareness #fightingobesity #healthy #fan #fightobesity #overcomingobesity #obesityhelp #healthyfood #kids #obese #givemeadvice #bingeatingdisorder #childhoodfriends #childhoodmemories #weightlosschallenge #eatingdisorder #bhfyp #nutritionadvice #childhoodtrauma #diet #obesityproblems