Brat pack snacks - healthy snacks for children - includes related article

American Fitness, July-August, 1993 by Nancy Clark, Michael Franzone

Healthy solutions to the 4 o'clock munchies for kids.

Kids have been taught not to eat between meals. They're told there's something bad about getting hungry in the afternoon and eating a snack. However, active, growing children need more calories than they can easily consume at meal time. If they repeatedly try to forego an afternoon snack--when they are only slightly hungry--they may be confronted with a ravenous hunger later on.

Most kids get hungry every three to four hours. If they eat lunch at noon and get hungry by 4 p.m., they should respond appropriately by eating something. If they postpone eating until they can't stand the hunger anymore, they'll inevitably overeat the "wrong" foods. That's where snacking gets the bad rap. The problem is not snacking, but getting too hungry. When you get too hungry, you may crave sweets or fats, and lack the presence of mind needed to make wise food choices. The solution is not banning M&Ms, but rather eating more breakfast and lunch to prevent hunger.

Snacking is important even if you want to lose weight. A planned afternoon snack (100 to 200 calories) will prevent extreme hunger and reduce the risk of blowing your diet. (Even dieters should never feel ravenous.) Denial of snacks can lead to frenzied overeating and the sabotaging thoughts "I'd better pack in these snacks now because this is my last chance to treat myself before I get back on my diet." You'd have been better off simply giving yourself permission to eat a "diet portion" of your desired snack. And remember, there is indeed a diet portion of any food--even M&Ms.

Recommended Snacks

If your children eat wholesome meals and want to snack on a cholate chip cookie, keep in mind this treat can appropriately fit into a well balanced diet. However, if your kids eat snacks instead of appropriate meals, limit them to nourishing choices such as bagels, yogurt, a banana, raw carrots, etc. The following dietary guidelines can help you plan their snacks.

* 10% of total daily calories can appropriately come from refined sugar. You can plan about 200 to 300 calories of sugar per day--the equivalent of a can of soda and one to two cookies.

* 30% of calories can appropriately come from fat. You can plan about 50 to 85 grams of fat per day--the equivalent of one high-fat treat (cookies, ice cream, chips) in addition to overall low-fat foods.

* Restrict salt only if your kids have high blood pressure. Active kids generally have low blood pressure.

Given these guidelines, your kids can enjoy moderate portions of controversial snacks such as high-fat peanut butter, oatmeal raisin cookies (high in sugar and fat) and high-sodium pretzels without feeling guilty.

Sports Snacks

The best sports snacks are rich in carbohydrates, preferably starches (bagels, English muffin, cold cereal, hot cereal, pretzels, low-fat crackers, leftover pasta, noodle soups, microwaved potato) and natural sugars (juice, fruit). Refined sugars (jelly beans, licorice, soda pop, hard candies) will also fuel the muscles, but they lack the "spark plugs" needed to enhance sports performance. Low-fat snacks (granola bars, muffins thick-crust pizza with single cheese) are also OK in moderation. Just be sure the overall diet adequately fuels muscles with carbs rather than filling the tummy with fat.

Outrageous Snacks

If your children crave belt-busting snacks like an ice cream sundae, indulge them once per week as a special treat, rather than succumbing on a daily basis. By treating them at lunch time, they'll have energy for exercising that afternoon. You won't destroy their health with an occasional splurge, as long as their overall diet tends to be wholesome.

Vending Machine Snacks

Vending machine cuisine offers tough choices. Tucked between fat laden and empty calories items, you may find pretzels, peanuts, juice, yogurt and even an apple. These snacks are limited in size and generally provide 200 to 400 calories, which is recommended for athletes. When deciding between fatty or sugary choices (i.e. chips versus chocolate), remember sugar will at least fuel a kid's muscles while fat will just clog their arteries.

Planned Snacks

Your best bet with children is to have them carry their own snacks so they can avoid the vending machine. Keep their lunch pail supplied with Fig Newtons, individual boxes of dry cereal, raisins or packets of crackers. Tuck an apple, juice box or breakfast bar into your kid's pockets as they leave for school. These preferable choices will be ready and waiting for the 4 o'clock munchies. They will eat them in good health, and enjoy their higher energy.