Tips on buying snacks
Healthy food provides energy for the day
School age children are always growing and so they need a lot of energy and nutrients for building their bodies. A healthy diet means a varied diet containing all kinds of food. The most important elements in the diet are foods that are eaten everyday and frequently. Food that is eaten rarely or seldom is not as important in terms of the overall diet. If the basic diet is right, treats can be eaten now and then without worry.
Eating regular meals is the foundation of healthy eating for school children. Children won't go on for long with just the school meal, but daily snacks will ensure children last the day. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, it is good for school children to have two or three snacks. Instead of a snack that can be gobbled down quickly, it is worth packing proper food into the school bag.
Energy from snacks
A good snack that has vegetables and grain products as its base will save the day. Vegetables, fruit and berries are naturally healthy; grain products, on the other hand, produce energy and have important fibres, minerals and vitamins. Therefore, both should be part of every meal and be used to make a snack.
Putting together a snack begins in the shop
A good snack is tasty and does not require any more effort than getting things out of the fridge. Getting a snack therefore begins with the shopping trip. See the tips below to make buying a nutritionally balanced snack easy.
Vegetables are the foundation to snacks...
The fruit and vegetable department is the place to stock up the snack basket – the more the better! Bananas are the best, although apples are also good to take and a fresh fruit salad can be packed into a school bag in a small container. Mini carrots and sliced vegetables are delicious just as they are or with a dip. When in a hurry, fruit purées for children and sugar-free berry soups in small packs make an easy and delicious snack. When it comes to berries, it is worth remembering: fresh or frozen berries taste good as they are or on top of yoghurt, curd milk, muesli and porridge.
...and bread and cereals
In the bread department, the snack shopping basket should be filled with all types of rye bread, for example rye portion breads, loaves and tin bread. When it comes to white bread, the basket should be filled with wholegrain options and bread satisfying the fibre criteria, i.e. a minimum of six grams of fibre per 100 grams. In addition, various crispbreads and snack bars rich in fibre make handy snacks. In addition to traditional sandwiches, warm breads, rolled flat breads, pizza breads prepared in the microwave or dipped slices of rye bread also make good snacks. Traditional sweet buns are the best choice for a sweet snack.
Along with bread, the shopping basket should be filled with porridge flakes and cereals low in salt and sugar as grain products for snacks. Flakes can be used in a variety of ways: microwave porridge, instant porridge, fresh porridge, whipped berry pudding...The quickest snack is to eat the flakes as they are with berries or milk.
...milk products and meat products too
Milk products and meat products can be put in the snack shopping basket to supplement vegetables and grain products.
Low fat and low sugar milk products, such as yoghurts, curd milks and quark should be chosen for snacks. Milk and yoghurt taste good just as they are and are excellent, for example, in milkshakes or smoothies with berries or fruit. The day’s calcium requirement is satisfied at the same time. Children also get calcium from cheese, which should be low in fat and based on vegetable fat when used on bread as a snack. Ready cut cheese slices are handy for young school children.
Cold cuts from the meat department add variety as toppings for snacks. Cooked and smoked ham, turkey slices and other whole meat slices are low fat options, the salt content should also be checked, though. In addition to meat, fish also tastes good on top of bread. Tuna fish can be easily used to make warm sandwiches and smoked fish tastes good, for example, with salad in between pita bread.
Drinks
The number one thirst quencher is water. As an alternative, other drinks for a snack can include mineral water or hot chocolate made with skimmed milk. Juices and soft drinks, including sugar-free drinks, should be reserved for special treats, which will protect children's teeth.
