Snack Alternatives

If your children have snacking problems, you may be desperate to solve the issue, but helpless as to how it can be solved. It isn't an easy endeavor, and your kids aren't going to like it, but they'll be healthier in the long run and may even thank you for having the courage to take the situation out of their hands.

There are many small rules that you can implement in your home to cut down on snacking and make the snacks that are allowed better for your children.

One such rule that you can have a direct impact on is: Don't allow snacking in front of the television. When children sit in front of a TV and watch a movie or show while they eat, their attention is largely focused on the screen and not on how much they're eating. If a child starts in on a bag of potato chips and continues eating throughout an entire movie, the calorie count is enormous, along with fat and sodium. A regular bag of Cool Ranch Doritos has about 9 servings in a bag. At 150 calories, 8 g of fat, and 180 mg of sodium per serving, your child is consuming 1,350 calories, 72 g of fat, and 1,620 mg of sodium per bag. To avoid this, supply your children with these alternatives:


Low- to no-fat popcorn

Popcorn is a great snack, and as long as too much butter isn't put on it, it can also be a healthy one.

Reduced-fat cheese on whole wheat, low-fat crackers

Cheese with less fat has more protein, and the lower the fat content in crackers, the less trans fat there will be (saturated and trans fats are bad; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good--in small to moderate doses).

Mini candy bars

When kids are deprived of something entirely for long periods of time, they tend to overindulge when they finally have the opportunity. By allowing your kids to have a little bit of chocolate on a regular basis, they will be less likely to do this. Limit these to one per day at the most.

Fruit and low-fat yogurt dip

Fruit is delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare. Cutting up a single apple provides a much larger snack than you'd think by looking at it. Fun dips can be prepared, including a simple one containing only low-fat yogurt, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Cereal

Cereals low in sugar and high in protein are wonderful snacks when portioned correctly. One great-tasting example (my personal favorite) is Kashi's GoLean Crisp cereal, which has 9 g of protein, 8 g of fiber, and 18 g of whole grains per serving and is naturally sweetened with cranberries and blueberries. By pairing the cereal with skim milk, you can significantly cut down on fat. If your children don't like skim milk, try organic skim, which (in my experience) has the same texture and taste as regular whole milk. It costs more, but stays fresh for over a month.

There are many, many snack alternatives not listed here. Do a little searching around the Internet for creative, fun recipes that you and your kids can make together. Try for as much protein and fiber as possible, and limit saturated and trans fats, calories, and sugar.