Snack at the Right Time!

Snack on Right Food at the Right Time

Random and aimless snacking can lead to critical weight problems. Irregular and continuous snacking can disrupt kids’ appetite and put off their natural instinct to experience hunger and fullness. Perfectly timed snacks actually help kids with a healthy weight balance. Noted dietary organizations suggest that children and teens need to eat every three to four hours throughout the day to meet their daily food plan. This means that:

• Younger kids need to eat three meals and at least two snacks a day.
• Older kids need to consume three meals and at least one snack a day (some may need two snacks during their peak growth period or if they are physically very active).

It is in the hands of parents and caregivers to provide children with good healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. You can consult a dietitian/nutritionist at www.firsteatright.com to help you chart out nutritious and good healthy snack and meal options for your kids. Keep it a point to offer snacks a few hours after one meal is completed and two hours before the next meal starts. Following this axiom helps prevent kids from refusing food at meals and then requesting for more food as “snacks” just after the meal. Also, discouraging snacking just before a meal encourages a healthy appetite at mealtime. The crux is that when snacks and meals are coordinated and executed properly at suitable timings, kids are more likely to have a healthy weight.

Confine Snacking to a Particular Location

Just like the cafeteria at offices, establish an “eating-only zone” at your home and limit snacking to that particular location. The kitchen table or countertop is a suitable location. Otherwise, when kids snack all over the house, it becomes a strenuous task for you to identify what and how much they are eating (Cleaning also becomes a tedious process!). Never ever allow kids to snack while watching television. Studies prove that this type of careless nibbling leads to overeating and unhealthy weight gain.