Snacking is a typical behavior for
children and adolescents. According to
Craig Johnston, the assistant professor at the Baylor College of Medicine and
Texas Woman’s University, it is becoming more common to see children arrive
home from school and mindlessly eat.
Many factors can trigger this type of behavior, such as not having
access to adequate meals during school, consuming a less nutritious breakfast,
or not consuming breakfast at all. This
mindless style of eating can become dangerous and easily lead to an unhealthy
weight.
A recent study shows that regularly
consuming nutrient-dense snacks may help to prevent obesity. This particular nutrition intervention study altered
the snacking habits of Hispanic middle school children at risk for becoming
overweight. The children were given a
snack of nutrient-dense peanuts or peanut butter after school as they were
heading to the school bus. Peanuts were
chosen due to their ability to produce satiety.
After 12 weeks, the children who consumed the snack of peanuts or peanut
butter were found to have lowered their BMI more so than the children who had
not consumed the snack. Interestingly
enough, researchers also revealed that even after the study had ended, the
children adhered to their daily nutrient-dense snack.
The researchers of this study
suggest that schools and afterschool programs should no longer offer energy
dense snacks that provide little nutrition.
Instead, schools should provide children with nutrient-dense snacks such
as peanuts. The common belief is that even
small changes such as this one can help children make acceptable food choices,
which can in turn lead to a healthier lifestyle.
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