Raising Healthy Children: The Role of Snacking 1

Every kid loves a good snack, but parents may think that snacking is bad and can lead to weight gain. Although this might be the case when snacking on cookies, chips, and candy all day, healthy snacking is an important part of a child’s daily intake. Childhood is a time of rapid growth, and meeting the nutritional needs associated with normal development is critical to a child’s well-being (World Health Organization, 2009). Because children have much smaller stomachs than adults, healthy snacking can provide nutrients between meals to help them meet their daily nutritional needs. The key is learning how to make healthy snack choices and to avoid consuming too many snacks high in added sugars and low in healthy nutrients. This publication teaches parents the importance of snacking for children and how to provide healthier options.