Child Care Nutritional Articles

 

snack foods

You’re standing in the supermarket. You’re wondering what the difference between a kilojoule and a kilocalorie is, wondering if it’s just the fat or sugar content you should be concerned about when deciding between biscuits or muesli bars for your littlies. You’re wondering if fruit leather is a good alternative to fruit, and whether juice is okay for your children to drink as they seem to be drinking buckets of it.

Every parent or caregiver knows what it is like to stand in a supermarket with these questions racing around in their head

Who has the time to read the labels anyway – you’re rushing between work and picking up Harry or Henrietta from day-care and there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day?

STOP – Take some time to see the new food products on the shelves. I know it’s easy to just dash into the supermarket and grab the usual but taking extra time to see the new products that are available might save you time in the long run (like pikelets, mini bagels, grissini, pita breads, infant yoghurts etc).

Babies and toddlers need small meals and snacks often because they are using up lots of energy and have small stomachs. Snacks that are planned to occur well ahead of the next meal can provide valuable energy and nutrients and will not necessarily spoil appetite.

Choosing healthy snacks is important but taste will influence whether it is accepted. A child’s appetite will also vary from day to day. A growth spurt may follow a period of high eating whereas reduced appetite might result from stress, illness or fatigue. Reduced appetite for a few days is unlikely to be a problem but if it occurs for more than 4-5 days it may affect energy levels and may compromise growth and development.

When thinking about snacking it is also important to think about your child’s teeth. The ideal food for healthy teeth should:

  • not be too sticky and,
  • help produce saliva (like vegetable sticks).

Healthy snacks for young children should avoid the addition of extra sugar, fat or salt but you need to supply variety to encourage exposure to all nutrients.

snacks that are nutritional yet still okay for teeth could include

  • Oat and fruit mini muffins
  • Wholemeal pancakes with fruit spread
  • Frozen fruit yoghurt
  • Crackers spread with marmite and cheese
  • Toast cut into shapes
  • Carrot and pineapple mini muffins
  • Club sandwiches with hard cooked egg, cheese, lean meat
  • Grissini bread sticks with cheddar cheese dip
  • Fruit smoothies made with milk, juice, yoghurt and frozen fruit pieces
  • Raw vegetable sticks with legume dip – humus
  • Cheese and corn savoury mini muffins
  • Creamed rice with fruit puree
  • Mini bagels with nut spread and filled with grated carrot and grated cheese
  • Diluted fruit juice into home-made frozen juice iceblocks
  • Pita bread dry-baked with vegemite and grated cheese
  • Fruit pieces
  • Plain pikelets
  • Cereal and milk
  • Adapted biscuit recipes – reduced amount of sugar, honey, golden syrup, butter and margarine

 

(The above article was prepared by - Nikki Hart, NZ Registered Dietitian)

 

Further Child Care Nutritional Articles

breakfast

calcium for toddlers

fluid

fruit vegetable

iron-rich meal plan

juice debate

obesity

salt intake

snack foods

three year old meal plan

underweight