Hi and welcome to Ask the Expert. My name is Kelly Dixon and I'm an intern for Employee Health and Wellbeing here at the University of Delaware. I'm also a graduate student in my second year of completing my Masters of Science in Health Promotion degree in the Department of Behavioral Health and Nutrition. So way back in 2004, I graduated from UD with my bachelor's degrees in psychology and psychology education. Since then, I've been a teacher, an online diet and exercise group facilitator, a singer-songwriter and most importantly, a mom. Over the years, health and well-being have become integral to the lifestyle I lead personally, but also within the environment I provide for my children as a parent. So when we're healthy in both mind and body, I truly believe we increase our ability to thrive and grow with purpose. Providing my four children, ages 7 through 15. Two boys and two girls, I know it's a lot, with healthy options in terms of nutrition, physical activity, rest, and social interaction has really contributed to their ability, I think, to independently choose healthy habits and to also really stop and consider their own well-being as they grow and experience their lives. So one area in which I have a lot of experience is healthy snacking. When life gets busy and your family gets hungry, it's really important to have quick and healthy options available to grab and go. In the past year with all the time we spent in the house. I don't know about you, but we're snacking more than ever. However, research shows that smart snacking really can be part of a healthy diet, and it can also help you avoid over eating later in the day. So over the years I've researched not only which snacks are beneficial to our health, but have also developed some mom hacks, if you will, to get my family to choose healthier options. Today, I will share five of my biggest simple tips that help, well hopefully, help you get your family to snack healthier as well. First of all, what constitutes a healthy snack? Well, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for healthy nutrition, healthier eating habits include consuming nutrient dense foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Also recommended is drinking lots of water and limiting sugary drinks and foods that are high in sugar and have saturated fat. This means we want to offer fresh, whole food snacks and beverages as much as possible. Therefore, my first tip is to make simple swaps in order to offer healthier choices. So some simple swaps that we've made in our house include water or sparkling water, instead of soda; wholegrain, maybe low sodium or healthy crackers instead of chips; and nuts or nut mixes instead of candy or fruit snacks. So for more ideas and information about smart snacking swaps, you can visit the links in the notes for this video. My second tip is to let them choose. So while making your grocery list or meal planning, simply ask your family members which fruits and veggies they would like for the week. When they get to choose, I found that they really have more of a sense of ownership over their snack or the food and that makes them more likely to eat it. So don't be afraid to try new or exotic fruits and vegetables as well. Even if they don't like it, it's still an adventure and it helps them develop a more open mindset when it comes to adding variety in their diet. So the third tip I have is to let them prep. Letting my kids wash and safely chop or prepare fruits and veggies is a great way to achieve, again, that sense of ownership over their food. It also allows for time spent together in the kitchen, which is awesome. Recently my daughter watched a YouTube video on how to properly get the seeds out of a pomegranate. And she was really excited and successful at it. So just keep going with that. The fourth tip I have sort of comes from a marketing perspective, similar to what we see at the grocery store. And that is that placement is key. When the healthy snacks are at eye level or right in front of us, we're more likely to eat them. So having a large fruit bowl such as this, sit on your kitchen table or a veggie tray, is just really a good way to make fruits and veggies disappear much faster than if they were tucked away. Placement is also important in the refrigerator and the cabinets. So putting the healthy options in front of the less healthy ones, such as sparkling waters in front of sodas or crackers in front of the chips, really encourages healthier snacking, make it more convenient. And just really when you're in a rush to just grab and go helps with that. Okay, So my last tip is to make healthy snacking fun. So there's all sorts of interesting recipes to try together, including the classic ants on a log where you take peanut butter and put it on celery with raisons . But there's also so many more out there to find. My children also always like to make funny faces out of fruits and veggies on their plate. So see who can make the funniest face. It could also be really inventive and come up with your own recipes or make a game out of who can produce the best tasting or even the worst tasting recipe. With some creative thinking, you really can make healthy snacking unique to your family, fun and interactive. So let's recap my five simple tips for healthier snacking with your family, or maybe even just for you. Include number 1, make simple swaps. Number 2, let them choose. Number 3, let them prep. Number four placement is key, and number five, make it fun. I hope that at least one of these tips has helped you learn something new to do when it comes to getting you and your loved ones snacking healthier today. Thank you so much for watching Ask the Expert and feel free to visit our wellbeing media page for blogs, resources, and more videos like this. And as always, be well.
Ask the Expert | Healthy Snacking
From Jessica Pieper April 12, 2021
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