Hi everyone! I hope you are all well.
Today I would like to share with you my observation regarding snacks.
I just come back from supermarket doing my daily shopping: whole food, vegetables, fruits…
Lovely sunny day! Perfect time to sit down in the park for a picnic lunch.
I joined the queue just behind young woman with small child around 4. Her shopping basket got my attention. It was full of snacks: 4 packs of crisps, small chocolate bars, small sugary juicy drinks and 2 pots of Kid’s chicken & potato mash ready meal. No vegetables and fruits! No water! The child was holding opened pack of crisps already. They looked like going for a picnic – unprepared!
We’re a nation of crisps, snacks and ready meals lovers, but do we think how harmful they can be especially for children health? We need to look at the calories, fat and saturates content on the label! Each year small children are consuming almost 400 biscuits; more than 120 cakes, buns and pastries; around 100 portions of sweets; nearly 70 of both chocolate bars and ice creams, 150 sugary juice drink pouches and cans of fizzy drink. If you watering a plant, why you give your child coke? How come that in the 21st century with access to the books and internet knowledge we ruin our children health. I wish to say wake up parents! Child will get a healthy habits when parents start looking for their health from the early age.
“Changing our children’s snacking habits can be a real challenge and we want to make it easier for families to find healthier options.
By asking parents to Look for 100 calorie snacks, two a day max, we’re helping them to give healthier snacks, while giving them less frequently.
I know as a parent how hard it can be but it really is just a case of swapping unhealthy snacks as much as possible.”
– Justine Womack, Childhood Obesity lead for the Health Improvement team at Public Health England, South West

‘Hard’!!!! It must be a joke! Just do not buy it! Instead of giving them pocket money for snacks, prepare them lunch boxes at home! Teach them healthy habits from the early age!
I have raised two children as well. From the babies they have never eaten any ‘ready meals’. I had a lot of books advising me what and when I should start giving them new ingredients. I just needed a blender and fresh whole products to make it. Fresh seasonal fruits were always on the table as a snacks. Instead of crisps they have eaten dry apple and banana slices. Instead of fizzy or juicy drinks I made them fruity kompot with honey-no sugar! I just bought them fancy bottles with a straws and they were excited! Instead of ready biscuits we had homemade. It was family fun time for making them.
My children are adults now and they do have a healthy habits learnt from me-parent!
Get inspired! Use your imagination! Read the label before you spend hard earned money for ‘junk’ food. It does not take a lot of time to make something healthy and tasty! Put some effort and the results will be visible – Your healthy and happy child!
I hope it will be a good day for you! 😀