From Your Health Journal…..”The Examiner has so many quality articles that help families lead healthy lifestyles, and this is one of those articles – which we are reviewing here. Please visit the Examiner web site for more great stories. Today’s article discusses healthy snacking. Too many times, out of convenience, children eat processed or refined snack foods they find in their pantries, that require no preparation. Many times, these snacks are just not wise choices. Many times, they are simple carbs, which are processed, do not give you the feeling of feeling full for a long time which promotes eating another snack in a short time span, gives a quick energy boost followed by a quick energy dive, and has very little nutritional value. The story suggests that a combination snack of vegetables and cheese satisfied children’s appetites as much as a snack of potato chips and resulted in significantly lower intake of calories. A wise choice if you ask me. Check out the full article at the Examiner.”

From the article…..

A Cornell University study published in the Dec. 17 online Pediatrics suggests that a combination snack of vegetables and cheese satisfied children’s appetites as much as a snack of potato chips and resulted in significantly lower intake of calories.

An epidemic of childhood obesity
According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study, nearly 32 percent of American children are overweight or obese. One of the many factors thought to be associated with this alarming trend is increased snacking. Today children eat about three snacks a day while 30 years ago they ate only one.

In light of these statistics, researchers at Cornell University wanted to determine whether certain types of snacks would lead children to feel full while consuming fewer calories. In their study, 201 children in grades three through six were randomly given a plate of potato chips, a plate of vegetables, a plate of cheese or a plate with a combination of vegetables and cheese, and were allowed to snack freely while watching 45 minutes of television.

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