Choose organic or natural after-school snacks for kids
Why This is Green
Kids are notoriously hungry and tired after school (and so are parents). While it’s easy to reach for chips, cookies, and other individually packaged items—and to wash them down with juice—these typical after-school snacks aren’t usually healthy.
Conventional packaged snack foods tend to contain transfats, high fructose corn syrup (this is sometimes now called corn sugar), artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, plus pesticide residue and genetically modified ingredients. Juice, like soda, can contain artificial colors and flavors, plus preservatives and sweeteners including HFCS. None of that sounds very appetizing, even if you’re tired.
The link between junky snack food and obesity is clear. A growing number of medical practitioners have expressed concern about artificial sweeteners. And studies have revealed a traceable link between artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and a range of attention and behavior disorders in children, including ADHD, hyperactivity, allergies, asthma, and migraines.
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How To
Making your own snacks is a great way to be in control of the ingredients your kids are eating. No need to cook if you don’t want to—an apple slice with some cheese is plenty tasty. Homemade snacks also make for less packaging waste.
If you’re snacking on the go, try to avoid single serving items and use reusable bags to keep waste down. Certified organic snacks aren’t permitted to contain artificial or genetically modified ingredients or pesticide residues. Natural snacks are less likely to contain these as well, but no one is third party certifying the word natural. Always read labels before noshing.
