As a parent you want the best for your child, you want to make sure that whatever they consume will be beneficial toward their health.
There are various reasons why your child’s energy might be low and nurturing your child’s energy levels can be quite challenging given the many factors a parent must consider, such as nutrition, health benefits, and so on.
While children grow quickly, they require a lot of nutrition during their growing years to keep them energetic and moving throughout the day. This is one of the most important areas for parents to focus on during their children’s developing stages, a child’s fussy eating habits can be incredibly difficult.
To ensure that your kids obtain their optimum nutritional value and energy from the snacks they consume, you need to observe their eating patterns and look at alternative snacking options to ensure that they stay on top of their energy levels.
The School Run suggests these energy boosting snacks for your kids:
Bananas
Parents will know that and would have experienced effects of the ‘sugar high’ on children after eating ice cream and sweets. However, bananas provide a slower-release of carbohydrates to keep energy levels on a more even level. Pre-wrapped in nature’s own packaging, sweet, easily digested and loaded with nutrients including potassium, vitamin C and B6, bananas are portable and cheap.
Small pack of nuts and seeds
These are an excellent source of heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Nuts and seeds help boost immunity levels, mood, brain power and brain development. An important nutrient for healthy growth and development as well as the manufacture of important hormones.
Dried mango slices / dried apricots
These are definitely filling, sweet and tasty. Dried apricots and mangoes are amazing sources of the immune-boosting antioxidant, beta-carotene. Just giving your kid a small handful will be enough for a sustaining snack as dried fruit, although a great alternative to sweets, contains much higher sugar content than regular fruit and is also high in fibre.
Hummus and carrot sticks
Perfect for those children who prefer savoury to sweet. Buy a pot or whizz up your own hummus in minutes (the kids will enjoy making this too); it keeps for several days in the refrigerator. A few tablespoons in a resealable pot at pick-up time with some carrot sticks or a pitta bread will go down a treat at the school gate.
Also see: Foods that can help your baby’s brain development
