Anyone who has young children knows that they are full of energy and have no problems running around all day long. Young children, especially toddlers, are constantly growing and learning new things. They need to have energy to get them throughout their day so they can continue developing as they should. While many people realize that toddlers have a need for energy, they don’t necessarily realize that this energy comes from food. This leads us to the importance of healthy snacks for toddlers.
To ensure that toddlers’ bodies receive the nutrition needed to maintain healthy amounts of energy, it is important that we supplement their daily meals with frequent snacks during the day. Healthy snacks for toddlers provide little bellies with nutrients that promote many important developmental skills such as healthy brain activity and growth, language development, the ability to communicate effectively and much more. Therefore it is essential that parents pay attention to the types of food they give their toddlers.
It is important that people of all ages eat at least three meals a day. While this isn’t hard for the majority of people, it can be difficult with toddlers because sometimes they just don’t want to eat at all – especially not a full meal. Healthy snacks for toddlers can be given several times a day to help overcome this dietary hurdle. However, keep in mind that the snacks need to be healthy. There are so many snacks you can give kids that are high in sugar and fat. These are the snacks you want to stay away from because they don’t fill kids up and they don’t provide them with the nutrients they need for healthy development. A few examples include potato chips, twinkies and candy. Instead, the types of snacks that need to be eaten are those that are low in fat and contain natural sugars. These foods fill kids up and give them ample amounts of energy.
There are many great healthy snacks for toddlers out there, if you just take the time to look for them. We all know about fruits and veggies such as pears, bananas, apples, tomatoes, carrots and celery. However, there are other options too! Things like cheese, fruit salad and low-fat frozen yogurt covered with fresh fruit also make great snacks. You can also find prepackaged healthy snacks at the grocery store, but you need to check the ingredient list to determine how healthy it is. Generally, the shorter the list, the healthier the snack is.
Providing young children with healthy snacks will not only give them the essential nutrients they need to develop properly, but will also improve their moods, help them sleep better at night and instill healthy food habits that will last a lifetime. Also, don’t feel limited to just fruits and vegetables when shopping for healthy snacks for toddlers. You do have the freedom to experiment with different foods and make your own healthy snacks. If you enjoy cooking, then bake some homemade snacks! Just substituting white baking flour with 100% whole wheat flour will make a difference in the nutrients your kiddos will get. Just remember to make snack time fun and exciting!
Learn more about healthy snacks for toddlers by visiting by Sandy’s blog at www.healthysnacksforkids.org.