What Are the Benefits of Children Eating Snacks During School?
Healthy snacks are an essential part of a growing child's diet. Childhood is a critical time for growth and development, and snacks provide important nutrients that your child needs between meals. During the week, this means children should have a nutritious midmorning and midafternoon snack at school to meet the nutrient demands of their growing bodies and brains. Learn about the benefits of healthy snacks at school and how to pack nutritious snacks your child will enjoy.
Provides Needed Nutrients
Children have higher nutrient demands than adults, to support their healthy bone growth and brain development. The absence of snacks at school or choosing unhealthy items to snack on can have a major impact on various aspects of your child's health. Children need a steady supply of nutrients to fuel their bodies and brains so that they grow and develop properly. It's recommended that children have at least two nutritious snacks each day. Be aware that most schools sell snacks and beverages, but these items may not supply the nutrients your child needs. Check your state's regulations and school snack policies.
Supports Academic Success
When it comes to snacking at school, you may want to consider having your child skip the vending machine unless it offers healthy snacks like fruit. Nutrition and academic performance are linked. Healthy snacking provides your child's brain with the nutrients it needs, and missing out on healthy snacks can negatively affect school performance.
Children who snack on healthy foods like fruit perform better in school, according to a study published in the journal Medicine in 2016. On the flip side, children who snack on sugary foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and other unhealthy foods like instant noodles and fast food don't perform as well academically. This study suggests that healthy eating and snack habits support academic success.
Boosts Well-Being
Healthy snacking contributes to your child's emotional and physical well-being, and this is another area where fruit wins out. Snacking on fruit lowers anxiety, boosts mood and lowers emotional distress, say researchers of a study appearing in the 2014 edition of the journal Frontiers in Nutrition. Unsurprisingly, scientists found that snacking on potato chips increases fatigue, poor mood states and cognitive difficulties. This means healthy snacking is not only important for your child's physical health, but emotional health as well.
Healthy Snack Ideas
Well-timed snacks help control your child's hunger, supply fuel and boost nutrition. When the selection is left up to children, they often choose sweet, less healthy snacks to munch on during school time. Make snacks at home to take to school as the best way to manage the snacks your child eats while away from home.
Some nutritious and delicious snack ideas include sliced apples with almond butter, cinnamon and sliced dates; Greek yogurt with fresh berries and a sprinkle of your child's favorite nuts; homemade granola bars and parfait cups with layers of yogurt, granola, berries and nuts. These yummy snacks will keep your child satisfied at school and contribute to overall nutrition.