Smart Choices On The Go

Football. Band. Cheerleading. Spelling Bees. These classic after-school activities and more are back this year. And whatever your children might be into, they are going to need practice.

Most practice time occurs somewhere between the end of the school day and dinnertime, making it inevitable for busy students to need a snack while they’re on-the-go. But being hungry or, worse, “hangry,” doesn’t always lead to the smartest choices, so planning ahead is a parent’s best practice.

Tips for snacking healthy:

• Prepare. The best time to put afternoon snacks together is in the morning or the day before, not when you are headed out the door to get to your activity.

• Think easy. You want items that don’t have excess fat and sugar, but they also need to be really easy to grab n’ go. Things like:

                      • Apples
                      • Carrots
                      • Celery sticks
                      • Almonds
                      • Pretzel sticks

• Look for the “lesser of evils.” For example, if you need to get fast-food as a last resort, skip the burgers and fries. Look for wraps and lean meats like chicken.
• Be a role model. Let your kids see you snacking on apples or almonds as well. Then there’s no surprise or disappointment when they see those items in their own snack bag.