By Dan Rahn
University of Georgia

Children need after-school snacks. But University of Georgia
experts say parents need to help kids make snacking the healthy,
safe habit it needs to be.

To supply the energy they need to stay healthy and active,
children have to eat more calories and more often, said Jan
Baggarly, UGA Extension Service coordinator in Bibb County.
Children are growing fast. And they’re usually more active than
adults.

But parents need to guide children to make healthy snack choices,
Baggarly said. To help them do that, keep plenty of healthy
snacks on hand.

A nutritious snack provides food from at least one of the Food
Guide Pyramid food groups, Baggarly said. At the same time, it
isn’t too high in fat, sugar or salt.

“Often, children don’t get all the nutrition they need from
eating regular meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, so snacks
become essential,” she said. “Making healthy snacks available for
kids after school is a great way to keep their energy levels up
and not spoil their dinner.”

Plan ahead

But snacks should be planned for, she said. They shouldn’t just
happen.

Baggarly suggests these nutritious snacks: cheese and crackers,
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, yogurt, hard-cooked eggs,
cold cereal, fresh and dried fruits, raw vegetables and dips made
from low-fat ingredients, popcorn, graham crackers and vanilla
wafers.

You don’t have to leave cookies off the list, either. “Just make
sure they’re made with low-fat ingredients,” she said.

One way to reduce fat in cookies is by using applesauce in place
of shortening when making oatmeal cookies. This alteration alone
cuts the fat by one-third.

After-school drinks can add extra calories to a child’s diet,
too. Baggarly said sugar drinks like Kool-Aid, soft drinks or
“fruit drinks” are poor choices for snack time. Fruit juices made
from real fruit (check the label) are much better.

Milk is an excellent choice, too. “And today you can buy it in a
variety of flavors, which helps its appeal,” she said.

Food safety

Parents help their kids make safe choices, too, said Judy
Harrison, an Extension Service food safety specialist with the
UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

“Moms and dads need to establish some basic kitchen rules and
consider putting them in writing,” she said. “For instance, many
children begin to use the microwave as early as age seven. But
you may not want your child (doing this) unsupervised.”

Improper use of a microwave, she said, can cause severe burns.
“Teach your children to open packages and remove lids so that
steam escapes away from their faces,” she said, “and to use pot
holders or oven mitts when handling hot foods.”

Harrison suggests teaching your children four simple steps to
keeping food safe: clean, separate, cook and chill.

• Keep counters and tables clean. Choose someplace else to
  place books, book bags or anything else that might contaminate
  food. Always wash hands with soap and warm, running water for at
  least 20 seconds before touching food. And use clean plates and
  utensils. Wash fruits and vegetables with cool, running water
  before you eat them.
• Keep raw foods like meats away from ready-to-eat foods.
• If you’re warming leftovers, make sure you reheat them to 165
  degrees Fahrenheit. Parents should teach their children how to
  use a food thermometer to check the temperature of cooked food.
• Put refrigerated foods back in the fridge after your snack is
  ready. If you get the milk out, don’t leave it out. Put it back.

Older children who have permission to use the microwave can
prepare microwave popcorn (“but hold the butter, please,” she
said), baked potatoes or lower-fat hot dogs. Or they can reheat
leftovers.

Kids deserve a little refreshment after a hard day at school,
Harrison said. Just make sure it’s safely prepared and good for
them.

(Dan Rahn is a news editor with the University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)