Truth About the Everyday Snacks Your Child Eats

Are the snacks that your kids eat everyday healthy? Read on to learn about the facts about everyday snacks that your child eats.

Snacks act as energy boosters between meals for your kids. Snacks also help your kids from getting too much hungry, so they tend to become less cranky during meals. But it does not mean that giving your kid a cupcake before lunch will solve the problem. Can you ensure that the snacks your kids eat are healthy? Snacks are a very tricky thing to observe. This article will help you know the truth behind the everyday snacks your kids love to eat.

What’s There in A Bowl of Noodles?

You must feel very happy to see the big smile in your kids’ faces when you serve them a bowl of hakka noodles or maybe instant noodles. But you should know that most of the instant noodles contain styrofoam, a type of wax that prevents the noodles to stick to each other, which poses a risk of cancer. Even the flavor packet contains monosodium glutamate, which is a well-known carcinogenic component. Even if you rely on preparing fresh noodles, remember that they absorb more oil and more sodium. This can cause a risk of cardiovascular disease and childhood obesity in kids.

Secrets of Samosas and Batata Vadas

Your children may eat samosas often as these are usually eaten as evening snacks in many families. But are these deep-fried white refined flour triangular savories filled with potatoes healthy for your kids? No, it is a sure way of gaining weight. Each samosa contains fat as equivalent to what a huge slab of butter contains. Their easy availability can make it hard for you to resist, but be careful before you serve a hot plate of them to your kids. The facts remain same for the most popular snack Batata Vada or Vada Pav and Bhaji Pav.

Jalebis Are Tasty

Kids love to have jalebis. But do you know this is officially certified as one of the unhealthiest snacks of the world? It is deep-fried dough soaked into an ocean of sugar syrup, and the taste is so addictive that you cannot satisfy your stomach by having only one – at least the kids do not have so much of control. Each jalebi is loaded with calories and eating them often can only increase the risk of childhood obesity and other diseases related to obesity.

How About Panipuris and Other Chaats?

Your children may enjoy having chaats and feel very happy when you stop by a chaatwala, but look for what they are eating. Panipuris are deep-fried dough with a filling of mashed potatoes, chutney, sev, etc. Not only they are calorigenic, but they are too unhygienic – never forget these are very popular street snacks, and it is difficult to maintain hygiene for foods served on the streets. Even the chaats are mostly deep-fried that can seriously cause weight gain in kids.

Are Medu Vadas Healthy?

This is one of the tricky snacks that look healthy as they are made from processed pulses and are usually clubbed with healthy sambar and chutney, but in reality, they are as unhealthy as the other snacks mentioned above. Medu vadas are fried deeply in an ocean of oil before they are served hot. Kids may love the crunchiness and the taste of medu vadas, but seriously, you should cut down the frequency of its intake.You must be tired of asking “do not eat this, do not eat that” to your kids, which maybe weird sometimes. Your kids may think you say no to every tasty thing in the world. The best idea is to replace the unhealthy snacks by much healthier and tastier options. Serve hot idlis, pohas, home-made wholegrain sandwiches, etc. These are easy to make and serve as great snack options for your kids.

Are snacks like noodles healthy for kids? Are Samosas and Batata Vadas healthy? Is it ok to give junk food to kids once in a week? Discuss here.