A new Australian study had found that almost half of school-aged children are snacking on sugar- and fat-laden foods after school.
The CSIRO Preventative Health Flagship report, commissioned by Unilever Australia, found that almost half of Australian children, aged five to eight, consume biscuits, pastries and cakes in the after-school period, while 17 percent snack on sugar-dense chocolate, lollies and cereal bars.
The study, a re-analysis of the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, which surveyed more than 4000 children, also found that children consume around a sixth of their total daily energy (1300kJ) between 3pm and 5pm. But rather than getting key nutrients in this period, children are consuming sugary, fatty foods with little nutritional value.
And according to leading paediatric dietitian Susie Burrell, after-school snacking on junk food could be making your kids fat. “These foods may also leave kids vulnerable to energy fluctuations and overeating,” said Burrell.
“Given that one in four Australian children are overweight or obese, it is time for the after-school period to be looked at as a key time for good nutrition in childhood.”
Burrell said a child-friendly snack should be nutrient dense, portion-controlled and low GI (to keep them fuller for longer) — but it has to be something they will want to eat. She suggests low-fat dairy snacks, such as yoghurt or ice-cream, which are low-GI and contain protein and calcium.
Some of Burrell’s top child-friendly snacks include:
Fruit
Cheese and crackers
Paddle Pop
Two low-fat cookies and a glass of low-fat milk
Peanut butter on corn crackers
Nut-based snack bar
Toasted mountain bread pizza
Two mini muffins and a glass of low-fat milk
Frozen yoghurt with fruit
Wholegrain crackers or veggie sticks and dips (hummus, tzatziki)
Parents need to be mindful of how kids are spending their afternoons as a lack of exercise is a major contributor to childhood obesity.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids aged eight to 18 watch an average of four hours of television and an extra two hours playing video games on their computer every night.
Burrell suggests limiting your child’s screen time to less than two hours every night and encouraging them to take up regular activity, like a team sport. “Kids need at least an hour of physical activity a day,” says Burrell. “So of course the more structured activity the kids can be enrolled in the better for them from a health perspective.”
Besides weight control, regular exercise also helps build strong bones, a healthy heart lungs and arteries and reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes later in life. According to the Raising Children Network, exercise also builds their self-esteem and helps them sleep better at night.
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