It’s all about snacking these days…The latest trends show that traditional mealtimes are being replaced by day-long grazing. However, when it comes to the snacks children consume, the landscape looks pretty bleak. 

Recent studies have shown that the most common snack options for kids are mostly highly processed foods full of sugar. 

One study¹ found that the most popular snacks among children aged 2 to 18 were cookies, cakes, and pastries, followed by chips, crackers, and candy. These types of snacks lead to weight gain, tooth decay, and other health problems in our children. 

Another study found that children in the United States consume an average of 25% of their daily calories from snacks, and that these snacks are often high in added sugars and salt.²

It was also found that children who snack more frequently are more likely to be overweight or obese.^3,4

These results are meant to simply show, as one of the studies is titled, this is a cause for concern!

Our children are consuming a large portion of their food from snacks with little nutrition that are causing poor attention, learning, and starting them on the road to metabolic disorders.

The post that I wrote years ago,”It’s not your birthday” really triggered a lot of parents. But as a dietitian and mom, I’m really fed up with the normalizing of daily consumption of what should be considered treat foods.

Even the Wall Street Journal published an article recently suggesting that we give kids cake for breakfast on a regular basis in order to teach kids about healthy eating.

Has Everyone Lost Their Minds?!?

Most parents don’t practice this, thank goodness, but those who are still trying their best are often misguided by what they’re told are “healthy” snacks. “Whole-grain” crackers, and granola bars are often high in refined carbohydrates and contain little to no nutritional value.

Interestingly, many parents often perceive snacks with healthy-sounding labels, such as “made with 100% fruit,” “fruit cups,” and “fruit-filled yogurt” to be healthier than they actually are. 

Even whole fruits, which are generally perceived to be a healthy snack option, may not be the best choice for a hungry,  empty stomach.

Instead, enjoying fruit after a meal or pairing fruit with cheese, nuts, jerky or other protein/fat combinations can help blunt the blood sugar spike that a banana on an empty stomach can have. Especially if the kids aren’t going to be physically active after eating, it’s best to focus more on protein-based snacks like hard boiled eggs and meat sticks.  

Additionally, choosing fruits that are lower on the glycemic index, such as berries can not only help manage blood sugar but can also provide a lot more micronutrients than apples and bananas. 

Now, why am I talking about this?

First of all, I am deeply concerned about the vulnerable people in society, especially women and children, and the food landscape they are facing. 

That is exactly why I started the Global Food Justice Alliance to try to bring nutrient dense foods to those people. Below I will talk more about exactly what I am currently doing to bring better snacks to kids. 

I also feel the need to speak out right now as new initiatives like Meatless Mondays and Vegan Fridays in the NYC public schools, proposals for warning labels on meat, and the concentrated and extremely misguided attack that is occuring on all animal sourced foods seek to continue limiting access to animal foods.

What is the result of those initiatives? Kids hear that meat is unhealthy and are less likely to choose it outside of school. And what are they replacing the meat with? It’s not expensive organic kale and chickpea bowls… they’re just going to eat more of the ultra-processed junk foods and less nutrient dense foods like meat.

This means less iron, B12, and protein for kids, which we know will lead to worse health outcomes. 

So, what are my recommendations for better snack options for kids?

 Here are five examples: 

• Meat sticks – Meat sticks are an excellent source of protein and can keep kids feeling full for longer. They are also convenient, shelf stable and can easily be slid into a backpack to be eaten on-the-go. 
• Hard-boiled eggs – Hard-boiled eggs are a great source of protein and can be eaten as a snack or added to a meal. 
• Cheese – Cheese is high in protein and calcium, and many people with dairy sensitivities do better with it. It is also very cost effective! 
• Fruit (plus) – There are many forms of fruit and kids tend to enjoy it. Make sure to consider the warnings above about eating them on an empty stomach and teach your kids to eat fruit in a meal or with other snacks like a handful of nuts.
• Yogurt – Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and can be paired with carrot sticks, fruit or nuts for added flavor and nutrition.

But what about the price of these better snacks? I realize cost is a concern for a lot of people and through some research, I have found that even quality grass-fed beef is cheaper per ounce than snickers bars, donuts, milano cookies, and strawberries. 

Let’s look at some of the snacks I suggested. Walmart’s website shows their greek yogurt as 11.1 cents/oz, their cheese sticks as 23.8 cents/oz, and their goldfish are 26.6 cents/oz. Imagine that! 

Getting high quality snacks is doable, and imagine the savings that will come years later from better brains, less metabolic disease, and happier kids. 

My passion for feeding kids healthy snacks is so strong that it’s now one of the core missions of my non-profit, the Global Food Justice Alliance. Last week, I went to Cincinnati, Ohio to the Freestore Foodbank where I met up with NFL player Markus Bailey to put together “power packs” for kids. Together, he and the donors to the meat campaign for the GFJA raised over $10,000 to purchase 10,000 meat sticks to send home to food insecure kidsk