Healthy Snacks
Healthy Snacks
We believe in supporting lifelong healthy eating habits, which in turn help to prevent illness, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
For this reason, we encourage the consumption of the following healthy snacks. This list also reflects the foods that Vida Charter School may provide its students during the day. Please work with us to promote nutritious eating in our children in order to support their overall health.
| Type and Rationale | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fruits and Vegetables |
Fruit: Apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries, grapefruit, grapes (red, green, or purple), honeydew melon, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines, pears, pineapple. Vegetables: Broccoli, carrot sticks, cauliflower, cucumbers, peppers, snap peas, string beans, tomatoes, zucchini slices. Snack: Applesauce, dried fruit, frozen fruit, smoothies, fruit salad, guacamole, hummus, salsa, salad. |
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Health: Eating fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of hear disease, cancer, and high blood pressure. Fruits and vegetables also contain important nutrients like vitamins A and C and fiber. Cost: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of a serving of fruit or vegetable (all types - fresh, frozen, and canned) is 25 cents per serving. Flavor: Fruit is naturally sweet, so most kids love it. Fruit can be served whole, sliced, cut in half, cubed, or in wedges. Canned, frozen, and dried fruits often need little preparation. |
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| Healthy Grains |
Bread: Whole grain. English Muffins, pita, tortillas, crackers. Breakfast Cereal: Either dry or with milk, whole grain cereals. Look for cereals with no more than 35% added sugars by weight (or roughly 8 grams or sugar per serving). Snacks: Rice cakes, popcorn, tortilla chips. |
| Health: Try to serve mostly whole grain, which provide more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than refined grains. In addition, try to keep the added sugars to less than 35% by weight. | |
| Beverages |
Water should be the main drink served to kids at snack times. Water bottle to drink from throughout the day. |
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Health: Water satisfies thirst and does not have sugar or calories. If kids are used to getting sweetened beverages at snack times, it may take a little time for them to get used to drinking water. Cost: Inexpensive |
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| Other Health Snacks | Nuts: Cashew, soy nuts, walnuts |