WHY SNACK? WHAT ARE SUITABLE SNACKS? SNACK IDEAS AND RECIPES

Growing children with small appetites may not be able to fulfil their energy needs with only three meals a day. Snacks can provide what may be missing from their meals and should balance the meals earlier and later in the day so that the daily intake provide the child’s nutritional requirements for his/her age.

Healthy snacks include food items from all five food groups such as apples, pears, bananas and carrots from the fruit and vegetable food group. 

Healthy choices from the bread food group can include wholewheat bread, brown bread, provitas, crackers and rice cakes.

Finger foods can include meatballs, cheese slices, cheese cubes and hard boiled eggs from the protein food group.

Well planned snacks can include all the essential nutrients of a healthy diet.

Snacks should be small and satisfying and should not be offered too often or too close to mealtimes.

Provide a variety of snacks.  Think of ways to prepare and arrange snack food - cut up fruit and vegetables in different shapes and sizes - bread can be cut into 2 halves or four quarters or use a cookie cutter for different shapes such as stars, moon, duck, etc. 

Foods like candy, cookies, cake and carbonated beverages can be planned by your Dietician as part of the daily energy intake. 

Foods good for general health are usually good for dental health.  Sticky sweet foods that remain in the mouth for a long time increase the chances for tooth decay. 

• Popcorn (made in the microwave, in a covered microwave-safe container, on high for 3 min. OR low fat popcorn
• Fresh fruit (strawberries, dates, grapes, naartjies, cherries, kiwi, orange wedges, etc.)
• Fruit salad (made of a selection of melon, apple, banana, strawberries, grenadilla, orange segments, pawpaw, pear, pineapple, etc.)
• Dried fruit (apple rings, pear, peach halves, etc.)
• Unsalted peanuts mixed with seeded raisins
• Plain yoghurt with fruit salad
• Low fat fruit yoghurt with muesli
• Provitas ^TM with cheese
• Muffin (recipe) with cheese / fruit spread
• Brown bread sandwich with peanut butter / sardines / pilchards
• Frozen yoghurt lollies
• Wholewheat crumpets
• Snackers
• Pretzels
• Wholewheat pancakes
• Home made fruit loaf
• A slice of meat loaf
• Raw vegetables with a low fat dip (tomato wedges, cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, whole green beans, young carrots)
• Wholewheat scones with cheese or jam

HEALTHY AND EASY FILLINGS

• Cheese
• Cottage cheese with fresh herbs or fresh fruit or jam or mixed with tuna or salmon
• Cold meats
• Mince
• Eggs - scrambled or sliced boiled egg
• Baked beans
• Homemade or pure beef hamburger pattie
• Soya pattie or soya sausage
• Peanut butter and banana slices
• Raw vegetables with a low fat dip (tomato wedges, cherry tomatoes, cucumber sticks, whole green beans, young carrots)
• Wholewheat scones with cheese or jam

SUITABLE DRINKS WITH SNACKS

• Unsweetened natural fruit juice
• Milk, plain, flavoured, hot or cold with honey or rooibos-milktea, cocoa or tea
• Water, chilled, plain with a squirt of lemon juice
•  
• Iced tea

BANANA MUFFINS
Yield:  12 muffins
Portion size: 1 muffin

Ingredients:

• 250ml (130g) Wholewheat selfraising flour
• 3ml Baking powder
• Pinch Salt
• 2ml Ground cinnamon
• 1ml Ground nutmet
• 1ml Mixed Spice
• 50ml Oil
• 2 bananas or 200g banana puree
• 100ml water
• 1 egg (50g) beaten
• 3ml nutreen liquid sweetener or 50ml sugar

Method:
Mix dry ingredients with an upward movement to aerate.
Mix oil, banana puree, water, egg and sweetener.
Add liquid to dry ingredients.
Mix well.
Spoon batter into a greased muffin pan.
Bake at 200C for 15-20 minutes until brown.
Cool on a wire rack.

393kJ CHO 10, 9  fibre 1,1g

Recipe from “Cooking the Diabetic Way”: Hilda Latengan, Etta Messink, Magriet Meyer.   JL Van Schaik Uitgewers

MICROWAVE POPCORN
Yield:  3 cups
Portion size = 1½ cup

Ingredients:
18g Popcorn, unpopped
Method:
Place popcorn in microwave safe covered dish.
Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes

285 kJ 15 g CHO 5,7g fibre
Exchange value:  1½ cup popped = ½ starch

ICED MINT TEA
Yield:  250 m1
Portion size: 250m1

Ingredients:

• 125ml boiling water
• 5 fresh mint leaves
• 1 rooibos tea bag
• 125ml pure orange juice

Method:
Add boiling water to mint leaves and teabag.
Allow to draw for 10 minutes.
Remove mint and teabag.  Chill well.
Add to orange juice to above and serve

261 kJ CHO 15,1
Exchange value:  250 m1 = 1½ fruit

Nutrition Practice Management (NPM)
Mulder’s Mile 25
Eldoraigne X3
Centurion 0157
Tel & Fax:  (012) 653-4451

Written by:  Etta Menssink & Louise Coetsee (NPM)
 1999 NPM All Rights Reserved
Published with permission of Etta Menssink (NPM)