Need Advice on Healthier Snacks for My 6Yr Old

I have a 19 month old daughter that loves to snack as well, so to foster good eating habits in her, these are some of the things we have for healthy snacks.

1. Apples cut up into slices in a bowl with cinnamon and a little bit of calorie free sweetener.
2. DIfferent flavored mini rice cakes.
3. Berries and cherries: they are in season and are REALLY good, offer him a mix of berries in a bowl.
4. NONFAT YOGURT: yogurt made with skim milk is healthy, and still tastes like regular yogurt.
5. Part skim milk string cheese.
6. A small bowl of cereal with nonfat milk is a good snack, and some of those favorite breakfast cereals out there are pretty healthy.
7. Grapes
8. 200 calorie snack packs: they are in the cookie/cracker aisle and there are many different varieties.
9. Small slices of lowfat cheese with saltine crackers.
10. Veggie Booty: in the chip aisle, very yummy, healthier than ANY type of chip.
11. Mini carrots, celery, tomatoes with non or lowfat ranch to dip in (a little dip is ok when it will make him enjoy the veggies)
12. FOr a sweet snack, buy him "skinny cow" ice creams: they are in the ice cream aisle and there are all sorts of flavors of ice cream sandwiches, cones, fudge pops, etc that are very low fat and low calorie, so if he wants a sweet snack after dinner, these are really yummy alternatives.

Take him to the market with you and have him pick out a few of his own healthy snacks, and remember that there is nothing wrong with trying things he might normally pass up. All in all, it is important that he have NO JUICE, SODA, OR CANNED DRINKS: they are pure empty calories, even if the are 100% juice. Have him drink low/nonfat milk, water in water bottles (kids tend to like those more than drinking from the tap). If he wants orange juice, have him eat an orange instead, have him eat the apple, not drink the juice, etc.

Im full of healthy snack ideas, so feel free to contact me for more. Hope this helps!

hi kimberly,
Have you tried popcorn and flavored rice cakes, my kids love them another thing they love is yogurt covered pretzles( I'm not sure about the sugar content of these) reg. pretzles are a good choice. I hope this helps a little bit.....T.

Hi K..

So, this is actually relatively easy. number one, do not offer unlimited access to snacks EXCEPT raw fresh fruit and veggies. He's six, not two -- he can and should be doing breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one or two snacks a day. Since he depends on you to prepare his meals and snacks, you are completely in control here. Don't give unhealthy options (except as occasional treats of course) and he will not be unhealthy. Grazing all day works for toddlers, but not for older kids.

If you keep offering raw fruit and veg and not giving lots of other options, he will either decide he is hungry enough to explore them, or he will skip the snack. either way, mission accomplished. Besides carrot and celery sticks there are raw sugar snap peas, jicama, bell peppers, blanched string beans, cauliflower, edamame (soybeans), steamed broccoli with a squeeze of lemon and some salt, cherry tomatoes, and basically any other vegetable in your supermarket. Offer variety. act excited about eating these things yourself if you don't already. if you model the behavior he will get it. if he whines about being cut off from unlimited access to sugary and starchy stuff, tell him (with a smile) that it is your job as his mommy to keep him safe and healthy, and that eating too much of certain foods is bad for his body.

if you want a more balanced nutritive profile in a scheduled, structured snack (which is valid), look for things with fiber and protein along with veggies and fruit. Beans are fantastic. (My daughter eats chick peas and edamame like candy, even when she is in a fussy-eater phase). grilled chicken and turkey are great if you're meat eaters... an din case part of the problem is a bored palate, don't be afraid to introduce seasoned stuff... spicy, smoky or salty flavors can invigorate the taste buds (my daughter is also a huger fan of smoked salmon). Nuts (assuming no allergies) are a fabulous, filling, dense source of nutrients. Popcorn is a great high fiber starch option, as is oatmeal. Berries, cherries, apples, citrus, bananas, dates, mangoes, pineapple, grapes, apricots, peaches, melons -- all lovely, luscious sweet-tooth options and super healthy (there's a lot more to fruit than sugar!). have fun with the menu, don't be afriad to say no, and good luck!

Another way to look on the whole snack issue is to think about what you are eating at meals, as a family. If you can eat lower fat, lower carb, with more low starch veggies and more fresh fruits and salads... then there will be a little more flexiblity when it comes to snacks. Our family has been struggling with a weight problem, as a group. Everyone has had a little something to lose, except my four year old -- who we don't want to go down that road. (It's easier to change the habits while they are young, and easier to slim down before they hit puberty.)

My husband and I started going to Weight Watchers, with our kids tagging along just to listen in (they have to have a doctor's note to actually participate with weighing in and etc.). We've all learned to make better choices. And to find out WHAT we're eating. Restaurant meals can be lethal -- with enough calories in one plateful to fuel an adult for the whole day. So we use the W.W. website and their eating out guide to find out which entrees are reasonable, and which to avoid. (There are some real surprises.)

We now buy the SaraLee Delightful bread, which has only 1 point for 2 slices of bread (instead of 4, like other breads). Put this with lowfat versions of cheeses, lunchmeats, and mayo... and the kids have a much healthier lunch entree. Some fresh fruit, and one of those 100 calorie packs, and they think they've had a great meal.

We use the WW point system to track what we've eaten, so eating better at meals gives us better choices at snack time. Which would you rather have, one blah rice cake.... or a piece of fruit and a creamy low carb yogurt and some animal crackers?

Plus we drink lots of water -- this really helps. Helps weightloss, lowers appetite, keeps us more energized.

Where we really had to cut back was the pasta. Our portions were way of hand, and we didn't even know it. It is very calorie dense, especially when you add the fatty, cheesy sauces. And of course, way back on the fast food. If my son does get a happy meal, its with apples -- not fries. And of course, no sugary sodas.

Protein helps us feel full, make sure he gets protein with each meal, fruits and vegi's are always a good option, if he won't eat it without peanut butter then get low carb or lite peanut butter and limit the amount he gets on it, try to avoid condiments, they are full of sugar and try to avoid giving him white foods as much, it is hard considering starched and carbs are easy and fill you up, but they all turn to sugar. If you takr sugar out of your diet except natural sugar you will see a difference right away, 1 teaspoon of sugar pretty much equals 3 to 3 1/2 grams of sugar, that is a lot. Read labels, don't be tricked by their unrealistic serving sizes, for example ritz crackers say a serving is say 2 crackers who eats just 2 crackers, always read labels and at his age I would get him in some physical activities, Karate is always good, it is very active and builds self esteem as well as teaches self control, most places are very expensive but there are smaller places that cost less, I have 3 children and they go to Langley's Karate off elkorn and diablo, it is a great program and my kids go 3-5 times a week, my oldest daughter has lost 20 lbs, my middle child has lost 15 and my youngest child now has 6 pack abs, it is great exercise for all, if you want go in and check it out, just tell him I sent you and he will probably give you 2-4 weeks free just to see if your child enjoys it. message me if you want more info...
Good Luck!

i suggest getting the nutrition book by dr. sears. you can also check out his website. try to shop the "perimeter" of the super market. avoid processed foods as much as possible and learn how to read labels. also, limit the amount of juice and other sweet drinks. juices are full of sugar and hidden sugar. drsears.com has a great little link on how to read nutritional value labels. outdoor activity is also good... the one thing we're trying to do is avoid things all together that are considered undeseriable behaviors. don't stock things in your kitchen that aren't healthy. Don't even buy soda - if it's not there, how can he drink it? But watch out for juice - some juice has more sugar than soda especially if you let them drink a lot of juice. it adds up fast.

Dear K.,

Hooray for girls, little girls are so precious and beautiful, I miss my gr grand daughter so much, she is almost 5.

For one thing, if he is 6, then he can help you prepare food, you have to stand right there, takes time, but it will be worth it, because he will want to eat what he 'cooks... and you can teach him life long habits of food preparation that leave out so much sugar. A tiny bit of sugar does make tomatoes and carrots taste better - when you cook them. We are growing things in a tiny garden now, and I am using more parsley in my cooking, I don't really know if it tastes better, but it is fun to try, and does give vitamins to the carrots and veggies that I cook with it. He might be interested in growing radishes and some things like that. Radishes grow very fast and don't require a lot of space.

The walking and playing at the park is great, also the baby will love being the little sister to kids there, and she will get some stimultion too.

I don't really know any new tricks, just common sense, probably the other mommies will know lots more. I am just here to be supportive and to encourage you to be strong, but not too pushy about food.

As I get older, I get more child like in my eating habits as well as falling down habits too, so I understand more how it feels to be encouraged to eat something that seems yucky to you. I am saying just be careful. There is a lot to be said about just being there and communicating rather than forcing. Sincerely, C. N.