Selected for you: “Nutritious snack choices with yogurt”

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Selected for you this week: Tips for nutritious and healthy snacking by The Irish National Dairy Council.

Snacking gets plenty of bad press. But it’s worth knowing that snacking can actually play an important role in the diet. This may be especially relevant to some children who, due to their relatively small body size, may only be able to eat small amounts in one sitting.

Attention should be given to food choices, however. Snack foods should be nutritious – providing essential nutrients without excessive amounts of energy, fat, sugar or salt. For this reason, ‘treat foods’ should only be eaten occasionally (not every day) and in small amounts. Snacks should be selected based on your child’s overall diet and lifestyle.

SUITABLE SNACKS INCLUDE:

Fresh fruit – whole fruits or a mixed fruit salad
Yogurt
Small scone
Unsalted crackers/crispbread served with hummus or cheese
Bite-size vegetable pieces e.g. chopped carrots, cherry tomatoes
Vegetable sticks with a natural yogurt or hummus dip – try a variety of vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, green/red peppers
Wholegrain cereal with milk
Bowl/flask of homemade soup
Plain, unsalted nuts

Source: The Irish National Dairy Council