Eat Right: Give your child these 5 healthy snacks this year

Healthy snacks play a crucial role in promoting overall well-being and improving the quality of life for students. We have a diverse food culture, but traditional snacks often tend to be high in calories, unhealthy fats, and added sugars. On the other hand, healthy snacks provide an opportunity to incorporate essential nutrients into the diet like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. By choosing nutrient-dense snacks, parents can ensure that they are giving their child a balanced diet thereby reducing the risk of nutritional deficiencies.

Sheena Ahuja, a Home Science teacher at Apeejay School, Faridabad in Sector 15 said that kids love to snack on tidbits all the time, more so since it is summer break. But instead of reaching out for a packet of chips or an aerated drink, parents can encourage their children to look for healthy options that are tasty and something that they can whip up within a few minutes themselves.

“This is especially true for students of classes VI to XII. I always encourage my students to look at snacks that have nutritive value and not just pure carbs, proteins, and sugars. For example, if the child wants to eat nachos, give it to him/her. The parents can add their cooking skills to use here. Take half a packet of nachos, and add some American corn, paneer, spring onions, salsa, and grated cheese on top. Put this in the oven till the cheese melts on top and you have a perfect snack that has a balance of carbs, protein, veggies, vitamins, and minerals, Ahuja said.

Even the salsa can be made at home, instead of buying from the market. “This way we are reducing the intake of preservatives in the food and the child ends up eating a healthy snack that is tasty,” Ahuja opined and added there is a valuable lesson for the child to learn here.

Let the child sit with nani/dadi and jot down the recipe. This will incite them to make the dish for themselves. They will also understand the little nuances that go into cooking

–Sheena Ahuja, Home Science Teacher at Apeejay School, Faridabad, Sector 15

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“The kids will understand the value of money from a young age and that you don’t have to spend lots of money to whip up a feast. Cheesy toast is another snack that can be made healthy. Take tomatoes, onions, and coriander leaves. Cut them finely. Mix. Take a slice of bread, and lightly butter it. Add the topping and grate cheese on top. Bake till the cheese on top melts and you have a perfect cheese toast at home. The best part is that the parent can take the help of the child to make this easy snack,” Ahuja said.

Another important lesson for kids to learn is that being healthy doesn’t mean being boring or tasteless. “Love tortillas? Make them at home by adding spinach or beetroot puree. This will not only add that pop of beautiful red and or green colour that the toddlers will love, but they will also end up eating veggies that are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fibre. A great dish for the kids can be fried rice that can be made from leftover rice. Add lots of different veggies, add a bit of soya sauce and vinegar and you have a great Chinese dish right at home,” Ahuja shared.

Encourage your child to learn a traditional recipe from their grandmother. Each household has that one recipe that has everyone licking their fingers to the bone. “Let the child sit with nani/dadi and jot down the recipe. This will incite them to make the dish for themselves. They will also understand the little nuances that go into cooking,” Ahuja explained.

Remember, to inculcate healthy eating in kids, the entire family has to be involved. “You can’t expect the child to eat bottle gourd (lauki) when the parent is eating pizza. Or if the parent is not eating vegetables, you can’t expect the child to eat veggies. Parents need to be role models for a child to develop healthy eating habits for life,” Ahuja said in conclusion.