As your kids grow, you’d want what’s best for them. From giving them education, to enriching their lives with different experiences, cultivating their relationships with the people around them, parents need to ensure all aspects of growth are taken care of. Even ensuring that healthy snacks for kids are part of daily planning is vital in keeping a healthy Filipino child . Essentially, from age 3 and above, it’s all about boosting your child’s immunity and brain development.
On top of learning, having enough physical activities and sufficient sleep, your kids also need to develop healthy eating habits1. As parents, you can provide healthy snacks for kids that include vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products; low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products; lean meats, poultry and fish; lots of water; and less sugars or saturated fat1.
DIY Healthy Snacks For Kids
Parents sometimes have a lot on their plate, what with their jobs, kids, and own lives. As everyone spends more time at home, there’s a tendency to eat more than usual. While it seems quicker to go for store-bought snacks, it’s actually healthier and cheaper to prepare your own healthy snacks for kids. Plus, it makes for some bonding time with the kids. So, stock up on readily available healthy nibbles which your kids can get access to.
Here are some no-fuss healthy snacks for kids:
- 1 cup carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, or snap peas with 2 tablespoons hummus1
- ¼ cup of tuna wrapped in lettuce leaf1
- 1 cup of blueberries or grapes1
- Muffins with cream cheese and cucumber sticks2
- Mandarin segments or sliced fruits with yoghurt2
- Mashed avocado and boiled egg2
- Toasted malt loaf topped with sliced strawberries2
- Toasted pitta with tuna, mayo, and yoghurt dip2
- Celery sticks with peanut butter3
- Banana sandwich on whole grain bread3
- Peanut butter or other nut butters on whole grain bread or crackers3
- Air-popped popcorn3
As most kids have at least one snack a day, snack times can be a way to increase your child’s intake of fruits and vegetables3. This might not be something that they like during mealtimes. By cutting fruits and vegetables up into bite-size pieces, these healthy snacks for kids become more manageable for your little kids to eat and remain a healthy Filipino child . What’s visibly appealing is also tasty as you encourage your children to eat a rainbow of fresh and colored foods3.
Healthy Drinks: A Big Part of Healthy Snacks for Kids
Snack time isn’t complete without something to drink. Therefore, in addition to those healthy snacks for kids, include a glass of Enfagrow A+ Four to wash them down. Apart from these healthy snacks for kids, adding Enfagrow A+ Four helps provide nutrients for their growth and development such as Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM), Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Beta-Glucan.
Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) is the coating of milk fat, which has been shown to have various biological functions including relieving intestinal inflammation and enhancing growth performance7. This also improves a child’s behavior and emotional control4 - making it a great addition to healthy snacks for kids . Meanwhile, DHA is an Omega-3 fatty acid that enhances cognitive development in a child by promoting healthy development of the nervous system. DHA is the principal omega-3 fatty acid in the brain gray matter8. With adequate levels of DHA, problem-solving, memory, reasoning, and language may be improved4. The combination of DHA and MFGM help build your child’s mental capacity and emotional intelligence.
Beta-Glucan is a soluble fiber often found in baker’s yeast, cereals, and mushrooms which vitalizes your child’s immunity and body defenses5. Altogether, Enfagrow A+ Four is a milk formula clinically proven to help boost immunity and brain development6 as part of healthy snacks for kids . The formula is also rich in Vitamin A, Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin D, Phosphorus, and Magnesium6. As your child develops more brain power, he or she is also able to get a hold of his or her emotions. With proper nutrition and nurturing environment, your child’s potential may be optimized and he/she could turn out to be a healthy Filipino child .
With the world on lockdown and everyone staying indoors, we do our best to take care of each other. While we maintain our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being, parents need to do the same for their kids. During these times, parents sit down to teach their child the lessons for the day. It's the perfect time to spend mealtimes together, help with homework in the afternoon, prepare healthy snacks for kids, take enriching evening walks, and tuck in their kids to sleep. Family time, together with healthy snacks for kids and Enfagrow A+ Four, helps support your child’s all-around growth and development in mind and body.
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References:
1 Tips to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight (n.d.) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/
2 Quick and Easy Snack Ideas (n.d.) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/food-facts/healthier-snacks-for-kids/100-...
3 Choosing Healthy Snacks for Kids (2020) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/C...
4 2 Nutrients, 8 Signs (n.d.) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.enfagrow.com.ph/articles/2-nutrients-8-signs?gclid=EAIaIQobC...
5 Better with Beta-Glucan (n.d.) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.enfagrow.com.ph/nutrition/DHA/with-beta-glucan/better-beta-g...
6 Enfagrow A+ Four (n.d.) Retrieved August 19, 2020 from https://www.enfagrow.com.ph/enfagrow-A4?kl4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1aykw5um6w...
7 Health benefits of dairy lipids and MFGM in infant formula. Retrieved September 8, 2020 from https://www.ocl-journal.org/articles/ocl/full_html/2018/03/ocl180019s/oc...
8 The Relationship of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) with Learning and Behaviour in Healthy Children: A Review. Retrieved August 26, 2020 from, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3738999/
