healthy snacks for kids are subjective, different ideas of health

Would you have criticised this mum over her school snack choices?

Last night, our publisher Mia Freedman posted this Facebook photo of her last-minute dash to Woolies to buy school snacks for her kids:

I have to say, my first thought when I saw it was guilt over what I would have included, treats such as fun size Milky Ways, Roll Ups and giant non-organic red delicious apples.

But this wasn't a typical reaction to this post, according to comments like these:

These were just three of HUNDREDS of comments covering everything from the salt and sugar content of the foods, the environmental implications and on and on it went.

Who knew that snacks were so very controversial?

So, over to you. Do you stress about healthy snack choices?

While we're at it, CLICK THROUGH for some healthy snack choices for your kids, from nutritionist Susie Burrell:

1. Fruit kebabs with cheeseAlternate cubes of cheese and your child's favourite fruits. Fresh fruit is always a nutritious, fibre rich snack food. There is concern that 2-3 serves of fruit are too much for young children however the issue is only when kids are consuming 2-3 pieces of fruit + juice + dried fruit as the more processed the fruit, the higher the sugar content.

Lighter fruits include berries and melon or team fruit kebabs with fruit and vegetables (e.g. capsicum, carrots) which most kids need more of. Also serving veges kebabs with hommus or fruit with a mix of veges and cheese or fruit with Greek yoghurt helps to give nutrient rich protein with the snack.

2. FrittataFrittatas are a great way to increase vegetable consumption. Use low fat bacon to make it healthier and olive oil instead of butter. You may also consider doubling up on egg whites and removing some of the egg yolks, although egg yolks are very nutritious. The best option is to add milk and cheese to the eggs to offer calcium and load in as many veges as you can!

3. Muesli barsMaking muesli bars at home removes preservatives and allows you to control the amount of bad fats and sugar included in the recipe. Also available in nut-free recipes for allergy kids.

Any wholegrain is a great choice but just watch the dried fruit which concentrates the sugar.

4. MuffinsUse pureed fruit instead of sugar when making muffins at home and try and olive or sunflower oil instead of butter. Always use mini muffin sizes for primary school aged kids and 1-2 is a serve with a glass of milk.

5. Toasted sandwichesAn oldie but a goodie. Fill toasted sandwiches with ham, cheese, tomato, baked beans but choose wholemeal or multigrain bread and skip the butter. Wraps are also a lighter choice and younger children can have 1/2 a sandwich with avocado, 100% nut spread, cheese or tuna as a filling snack choice.

6. PopcornOne of the best investments you'll ever make is to buy a popcorn maker. Healthy popcorn works all the time, or pop it yourself in a pot using a small amount of olive oil. This is a great snack and very popular. Making popcorn at home means you can control the oil and the salt. Skip the butter and any sweet toppings.

7. Flat bread chips and salsaA delicious snack is toasted flat bread segments with salsa or hommus. Use wrap bread such as wholemeal pita wraps or Mountain Bread. Just cut into segments and bake in the oven until crispy. Using wrap bread is a much lighter choice than corn chips. You can by jars of salsa or make your own. Stick to skinny versions of guacamole and hommus or better still, try making them at home yourself.

Like this? Then try:

Should junk food be banned at schools? Two mums go head-to-head.

What's wrong with these lunchboxes?

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