MINDFUL MUNCHING
Tips for nutritious and wholesome snacks during a homebound summer
Despite school winding down for the year and summer on the verge of ramping up, one thing that will remain constant, now that summer camps are canceled due to COVID-19 and the opening of public swimming pools is in question, is that children will likely be more homebound this summer.
This means that as parents there will be a continued need for us to execute frequent meals, at a time when snack bars and dining halls could provide a muchneeded break from time spent in the kitchen.
According to Chinyelu Kunz, an early childhood educator, parenting podcast host and home lifestyle author from Downingtown, Chester County, the more mindfulness we put into the snack choices of our children, the more benefits they will gain from them.
“Mindful eating is something wonderful to begin to incorporate especially now during this time of quarantine,” said Kunz. “Morning and afternoon snack time really needs to be given more care and attention to.”
This means thinking along the lines of what food choices will be best to support the body.
“A healthier snack is one that is going to help sustain the child no matter what age, even for us as adults,” she said.
For young children, Kunz points out that they really need to have their bodies nourished midmorning, with food that can help sustain them given the amount of energy a child typically exerts in the morning.
“To sustain them in their growth, because children are growing and developing so quickly each day,” she said, adding that two hours after breakfast is served and two hours before lunch is the ideal time for them to refuel in the morning.
Afternoon snack time
The same goes for afternoon snack time, with a two-hour spacing between each meal.
“For children, it’s all about being constantly in motion, whether they are playing or running outside or playing with their toys,” she said. “They really need to have their bodies nourished again. Mid-morning snack time is very important to try to get in.”
If sweets are predominating the snack, Kunz said it’s not going to give a child the nourishment they need because it’s empty calories that cause quick boosts of energy.
“They might find their child not being in the best place in terms of their mood in this crash mode after the boost of sugar,” Kunz said.
She points out that sweets can be included, but more mindful ones will be the better choice for you to have a more peaceful home life due to fewer meltdowns.
“Apple slices and carrot sticks versus, ‘here are a bag of cookies,’” Kunz said. “If it’s nutritious, that can really sustain the child in a place where they are more connected with their bodies and their body is in a place where it’s getting what it needs to sustain them and their energy.”
Kunz suggests approaching a mid-morning snack with higher protein foods and the afternoon snack as the lighter of the two. Hummus and raw vegetables and boiled eggs are some ideal options she suggested for a morning snack. A warm element to add to the snack is also ideal to help aid in digestion.
“Have warm lemon (herbal) tea to drink, warm buns with nut butter,” she said, of some suggestions.
Around 3 or 3:30 p.m. is an ideal time for an afternoon snack if serving dinner around 5:30 or 6 p.m.
“A nutritious sort of sweet snack can come in like berries, zucchini bread or banana bread,” she said, adding to be mindful of portions. “One slice — a little something to tide them over until dinner — as parents we need to set that boundary.”
Presentation of food
The effort we put into the presentation of food, even at snack time, has its advantages too, according to Kunz.
“It helps children to enjoy food if they are seeing the food presented beautifully,” she said. “It’s less about having this great quantity — if too much food is present, it can take the deliciousness out of it.”
Kunz recommends parents be the ones to serve a child their portion versus letting them help themselves, particularly in cases where more than one child is snacking at the same time.
“This will help avoid grabbing,” she said. “It helps them establish a sense of having a few of each thing and helps them establish a sensitivity to that.”
Getting into a rhythm of daily snack times that occur without a child having to ask is the ideal approach.
“It’s much better to head that off at the path before a child is in meltdown mode,” Kunz said, adding if a child knows when to expect a snack, meltdowns can be avoided.
In addition to helping a child carry on with their day in the most optimal way through nutritious and wholesome snacks, they will be in a better position to listen and focus on what’s being asked of them.
Helping in preparation
Having children participate in the preparation of snack time can serve as an activity unto itself when you have summer days in need of filling up with fun things to do.
“It teaches them to try new things and they are learning a new skill,” Kunz said. “They can feel a sense of accomplishment to be there helping with preparation.” It also gives children the opportunity to learn how to set food out in a beautiful way on a plate or in a bowl.
“They can taste food as they are helping to prepare with a little nibble,” Kunz said. “They can develop a taste for different foods with that preparation.”
Kunz said that parents should consider a snack for themselves too.
“It would be very supportive if parents sit and eat with their children because they are seeing that model no matter what age,” she said. “They are setting an example that coming to the table to enjoy eating food and a time to connect.”
Enjoying a snack together
That connecting supports the whole process of enjoying a snack together.
“Everyone can have a pause and break and be together to enjoy food,” Kunz said. “That is a huge part of food — the social element.”
Kunz stressed the importance of sitting at a table or putting out a picnic blanket in the backyard as ideal places to enjoy your snack. The key is to be fully present while eating it.
“Go to the table to eat in a mindful way to enjoy that snack,” she said. “Go out and have a picnic and find ways to elevate our experience of the food we eat.”
These experiences of togetherness centered on food can last a lifetime for children.
“It leaves wonderful memories, not just for our children, but for the whole family, to reflect back in later years of those experiences,” Kunz said.