The Best Healthy Snacks For Kids To Buy To Save Time
Most snacks you can find at the store are laden with food additives, preservatives, and sugar.
They might taste good but they are far from nutritious, packing in all the calories with almost no nutrients.
Thankfully there are a few options that are healthy and do meet nutrient requirements for children if you know what to look for.
Why most snacks marketed for kids are unhealthy
Most children snack on pre-packaged foods because it’s convenient and saves time on busy mornings. For example, granola bars, cookies, and dry fruit like raisins are mostly sugar and unhealthy oils.
The problem with almost all packaged foods is shelf life. In order to extend the shelf life of food, manufacturers have to use a lot of sugar or preservatives. To keep costs down, they also see cheaper oils like vegetable oils and canola oil.
All of these ingredients combined to a lot of damage to children’s long-term healthy by altering their gut microbiome and can contribute to chronic inflammation.
If you think about it, what we eat has a profound impact on our bodies. Food doesn’t just fill us up and give us energy, what we eat communicates with our cells and instructs our genes.
What we eat can alter our genes for better or worse.
Children need special amounts of certain nutrients because they are in a period of rapid growth and development.
The best healthy snacks for kids to buy to save time
Nak’d Bars
These bars are a family favourite and are made from 100% real ingredients like dates, cashews, and cocoa. They have a good amount of fiber and protein which keeps sugar spikes at bay and helps you stay fuller for longer.
Larabar
Larabars are another healthy granola bar option made from nuts fruit and healthy fats. For example, their Carrot Cake only has nine wholesome ingredients: dates, almonds, walnuts, dried pineapple, raisins, unsweetened coconut, cinnamon, carrots, and extra virgin coconut oil.
Some great flavours to try out are Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Larabar Cherry Pie.
EPIC Bars
Food Is made up of 3 main groups: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Of all the macro nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein) protein keeps you fuller for longer.
Studies have shown that protein is the most filling, meaning you won’t need to eat as many carbohydrates.
Protein is essential for children because they are in a phase of rapid growth and development. The body needs protein to build strong bones and teeth, for repairing (and building) tissues, for immune function, digestion and so much more.
When I look for meat I opt for grass-fed as much as possible. This is because grass-fed meat is the most nutritious of all types of meat. Animals raised on grass live in natural conditions, are not fed antibiotics or growth hormones and their meat is subsequently higher in nutrients and lower in fat.
These EPIC Bars are a healthy and easy option for a snack. Each bar has more than 5g of protein which is what will keep calories down. For example the EPIC Venison Sea Salt and Peppers Bar has12g of protein and 0g of sugar.
Seaweed
This might sound like a strange snack for kids but it’s actually packed with nutrients. Seaweed is loaded with antioxidant vitamins like vitamins A, C, and E as well as high in minerals like iodine.
Iodine is a vital mineral for a healthy thyroid. The thyroid gland is responsible for a healthy metabolism as well as growth hormones.
These gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets are perfect for busy families on the go. They’re also a great size to fit in lunchboxes.
Sprouted Granola
Granola is a quick go-to snack for a lot of kids. Sprouted granola is even healthier.
Here’s why:
Sprouted grains, legumes, and nuts release a higher level of antioxidants and vitamins like B vitamins. Sprouting also reduces a nutrient blocker known as phytic acid. Plants naturally have this substance in them that stores phosphorus in plants.
Foods high in phytic acid can block minerals like iron and zinc.
Sprouting reduces the levels of phytic acid and sometimes by over 90% like in Quinoa for example.
This Go Raw Sprouted Seed Coconut Clusters is a healthy and cost-effective option. They are easier to take on the go as a snack instead of traditional granola and easy for kids to eat too.
Fruit Leather Snacks
Most kids love sweets and candy. Fruit roll-ups are a healthy substitute for that. They have a chewy texture, can be eaten on the go, and are made with 100% real fruit.
These are simply made by dehydrating blended fruit. That’s it. They are less messy to eat than raw fruit which makes it a great option for busy families.
Some good ones to try out are Stretch Island Fruit Leather Snacks and That’s it. Natural Real Fruit Bar are both made of only fruit and natural flavours.
Summing up
Healthy snacks aren’t hard to find at the store and there are a lot of health-conscious options of food made with real ingredients.
When shopping, the best rule of thumb is to look for pure and natural ingredients you can pronounce without added sugar, preservatives, additives, or artificial colouring.
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