Heart Healthy Snacks for Kids

Introduction

Heart Healthy Snacks for Kids. Skip dieting and eat healthily. A statement, which at first, doesn’t seem that impactful. And yet, there is no way of getting around this universal truth. Now when we talk about snacks, the first impression is quite negative. Not all snacks are bad, and on a long exhausting day, snacking keeps you refreshed between the meals. And while we on the topic, no one snacks more than our school going kids!

It is just not them, the scholars. Kids get bored when they don’t snack, whether they are at home or at school. While giving them money to buy a pack of crisps gets rid of them for a while, it isn’t a great long term strategy. These commercial, mass-produced snacks are only going to create problems in your kid’s body, especially the heart. This is the theme of this discussion as well. We will look at some heart-healthy snacks for kids, which can easily replace that bag of crisps they buy every day!

Which snacks are unhealthy for heart health?

Unhealthy snacks can be quite disastrous to the pumping and circulatory functions of the heart. Hence, it becomes imperative to limit their intake. But you must have something better to offer when your kids ask for that crisp pack they love so much. We will discuss those delicious, heart-healthy snacks in a while. But first, let’s have a look at some of the popular unhealthy snacks our kids love so much.

They are pretty much lying around us all the time, aren’t they? Sweets, cupcakes, chips, crackers, packing drinks, cookies. The list can go on and on, there is no shortage of items on the agenda. The most prominent effect of these products is reflected by the condition of obesity. This obesity eventually translates into major heart health issues. Hence, avoiding the snacks which are not heart-healthy is quite crucial for a stable heartbeat!

Add crunch to your lunch!

We have given you quite a lecture on the subject, haven’t we? But now let’s skip the theory and jump into the rational world. Some people love to crunch. And with the regular munchies that crunch gone missing from the daily routine, the replacement must be pretty darn good. We thought of some crunchy munchies, these include:

1- Apples

2- Pears

3- Carrots

4- Roasted chickpeas and nuts

5- Popcorns

Your kids might not like these at first, especially if you keep harping about the heart-healthy snacks all the time. Presentation is an art, which is best left to the unique creative imagination!

Think before you drink!

Packing drinks and carbonated bottles. Your kid must say goodbye to these if you care about his or her heart health status. These sugar-loaded drinks might be very refreshing, but it is an illusion, we all know that by now. The long term effects are quite damaging actually. So, you must be thinking, what’s a great replacement? Well, we think your kids must rethink their drinks and maybe opt for:

1- More of plain water

2- Fat-free milk

3- Tea or coffee but it must be unsweetened

4- Fruit juice but minus preservatives.

5- Vegetable juices. These are least popular, so be ready for a backlash, possibly a tantrum!

Wholesome snacking

Snacks which make one feel full are very popular, not only among kids but adults as well. However, less is known about heart-healthy wholesome snacks. We did a bit of research and found out that there is plenty of delicious stuff that is both wholesome and safe for heart health. Our list of items includes:

1- Whole grain bread, toasts.

2- Cheese with low-fat contact

3- Vegetable or fruit smoothies.

4- Whole-grain crackers.

5- Fat-free yogurt

Oh, do you have a sweet tooth?

And how can we forget about healthy sweet snacks, which can lift anyone’s mood in a matter of few mouthfuls? You can curb your sweet cravings by having any of the following snacks. The overall impact of these sweet snacks on heart health is minimal. Make your day great by having some:

1- Baked apples

2- Frozen grapes and bananas

3- Fruit salads

4- Dried unsweetened fruits like dates and figs.

5- Raisins

Conclusion

An occupied, busy schedule means that moms don’t have much time to prepare heart-healthy snacks for their kids every day. But hopefully, after reading this article, your knowledge about this category of snacks has enhanced considerably. Possibly, your kids won’t like this heart-healthy snacking shift at first. But if you are creative enough, that’s all they would want to eat in days to come!