Day 5 of 7 Days of Healthy Meal Planning for Children by Dr. Robin Russell

Day 5 of 7 Days of Healthy Meal Planning for Children by Dr. Robin Russell

Snacks:  You’ve all heard it…  “Mama, I’m hungry” and “Mama, I want a snack”.  You’re thinking, “if I give him/her a snack, they are not going to eat their dinner” but you’re also thinking, “if I don’t give him/her a snack they are 10 seconds away from having a meltdown”.  As a parent who still wants to keep her sanity, I ...have pretty much given in to giving them their snacks.  I try to give them healthy snacks so that I won’t mind so much if they don’t eat very well at dinner.  Healthy snacks for me include a small portion of protein and vegetable/fruit/whole grain.

As a Naturopath who specializes in Pediatric Medicine, this is the one course I usually get to see firsthand in my office during visits.  Because Naturopathic Doctor visits can be a little longer than most families are used to, parents almost always bring snacks to the visit to appease their kids once they are bored after playing with every toy in the basket.  Snacks that I routinely see at visits are pretty carbohydrate heavy but occasionally I do see some good healthy treats.  Snacks are probably one area where I can help parents make healthier decisions that keep their kids happy and satisfied until their next meal.

Snack Ideas:

Ranch dip and baby carrots

Hummus and baby carrots

String cheese and fruit

Nut/seed butters and baby carrots

Black beans and avocado chunks

Whole grain tortilla chips and guacamole

Yogurt and fruit

Nuts and fruit

Ants on a log (nut or seed butter on celery with raisins)

Nitrite-Free deli meat and cream cheese rolls and fruit

Wild-Caught Smoked salmon and cream cheese

Granola bars (bars with fruit, nut/seeds as ingredients and look for decent amount of protein >4g) like Lara Bars, Kashi and Cascadian Farms to name a few

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Food Allergies/Substitutions blog with Dr. Robin Russell