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Hence, they need to eat between meals to meet their nutritional requirements. The implication of this is that snacks are as important as regular meals. They can make or break a child’s diet. As such a lot of thought needs to go into its selection. This would result in healthier snacks provision for children. In case you are wondering what constitutes a healthy snack? It may interest you to know that they are snacks that are so nutritious that every bite contributes to a child nutrient intake. Here are four reasons why you should give your child(ren) healthy snacks:
1. It Satisfies Hunger Between Meals:
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of kids don’t eat much at once. So, expecting them to eat just three square meals is unreasonable. In the same vein, expecting the mother to come up with a full meal each time the child is hungry is impractical. Wetin super mum go gain if stress kill am? That’s why healthy snacks are necessary. They’ll satisfy the child’s hunger between meals, keep them happy and boost their energy.2. It Promotes Well Being:
Do you know that healthy snacks boost physical, mental and emotional well being? Yes, when kids eat more healthy snacks and less junk, their sugar consumption is reduced. This in turn promotes better dental health. Also, healthy snacks reduce the chances of illnesses like cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart diseases.Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
3. It Helps Children to Develop Healthy Eating Habits:
In Nigeria, we have this habit of force-feeding children. Our grandmothers were professionals in this field. Today, most of us are towing that line. We believe that a child must finish his food in order to enjoy the nutrients contained therein. I want you to learn something good today so that you can stop modelling bad eating habits for your child. A child’s daily diet should include three meals and two snacks. Now, pay attention to this; the snacks should be supplements to the meals. If everything your child eats during the course of the day is balanced, the child will learn portion control. They will learn to eat varieties of food, fruit and vegetable inclusive. Most importantly, the little they eat at each mealtime will give them the nutrients they need. With this, you won’t have to force-feed.4. It Supports Academic Success:
You may not know this but your child’s snacking habits can affect their academic performance. Research indicates that healthy snacks provide the brain with the nutrients it needs. This helps the child to listen and learn better and perform excellently in class. So, instead of shouting up and down, instead of asking your child if the person who took the first position has two heads, invest in healthy snacks. It will help them a lot. In conclusion, choose your children’s snacks with care. Give them healthy snacks. Sources: Creative Child Healthy Eating Featured Image Source: Academy Of Nutrition And DieteticsDid you find this article useful? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com