Getting your kids to choose healthy snacks has been the bane of parents since a young Aristotle refused to eat his figs and olives.
But filling the requirements of a full, daily source of nutrition in every handful of snackfood doesn’t mean having to reach for supplements and vitamin pills. Nature has provided some alternatives to chocolate and chips — tasty bite-sized delights with a history of making bodies grow tall and strong.
Healthy snacking for Generation Now offers something for even the most discerning young palate — providing that those young tastebuds aren’t won over by a flashy wrapper alone. Think about stocking some of these top 4 power food snacks for the next time craving calls (from the kids or you!).
•goji berries
•hemp seeds
•walnuts
•dried blueberries
Essentially, they’re just nuts and berries. But humans have survived (and thrived) on that natural combination for tens of thousands of years. There’s a reason their appeal has never dwindled: taste, power and more health benefits than a medicine cabinet full of supplements.
While the caffeine and sugar rush of a chocolate bar means junior is rocket-fuelled after a couple of bites, that addictive blast of energy doesn’t last — and the low that follows a sugar high, well, that’s every parent’s nightmare. With these natural, organic snacks, the power is permanently on.
Goji berries are a top immune system builder and have an incredibly high antioxidant rating. For 5,000 years the plant has been revered for its powerful healing properties and exists in three-quarters of all Chinese medicine formulas. The consumption of Goji has direct influence on the liver, eye, memory, circulation, libido, and longevity. And you could call it a “feel good” food because the “happy berry” is renowned for creating a positive mood among those eating it.
Don’t worry, it’s not the drug. Though nagged by its (distant) association to marijuana, Hemp seeds are a true superfood. The only “high” you’ll get is from knowing that there’s a single, natural source for body superpower.
Are you looking for a source of protein that’s better than meat? Would you like to find a food that has the highest essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any plant? How about one that contains all the essential amino acids? Hemp seeds are the answer.
Often referred to as the poor cousin of the über-sexy almond, walnuts are another food super-rich in EFAs, which are the building blocks for a healthy immune system, healthy cell structure, proper human growth, and possibly the best food for your liver, circulatory system, hair, and scalp. Lacking in most Irish diets, EFAs can clear arteries of cholesterol, slow MS symptoms, improve immune system and hormone functions, and nourish brain cells.
Dried blueberries are a great way to get your fruit. It takes 6-7 lbs of fresh blueberries to make 1 lb. of dried blueberries. Do the math — that’s a lot of fruit packed into every handful and a king’s ransom of cancer-fighting antioxidants (No. 1 among all fruits!). Hailed as tiny, concentrated packages of nutrition, dried blueberries are loaded with Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene, as well as being rich in minerals and full of fibre.