ABBG Readers Ask, I Answer: Kindergarten Snacks
In my role as the Mommy Blogger for NuVal, I get all sorts of questions. This one came in from Sarah, and it was perfect for Back to School Week:
Melissa, could you do a little info on NuVal and packaged snacks? Parents in my daughter’s kindergarten class have been asked to provide the snacks all year. The big catch–there is a child with a peanut allergy (poor guy) and so all snacks have to be store purchased and packaged…ugh! My daughter is meeting all kinds of foods she’s never met before. Just this week she came home and told me about the Bugles they had for snack. Is it possible to have healthy, peanut-safe packaged snacks? Maybe they would let me bring bananas…hmmm.
Sarah, my heart goes out to you! That is a conundrum. In a perfect world, you could pack your daughter a nutritious snack (carrots & hummus, grapes, apple slices, a banana, yogurt) on a daily basis. But it sounds like your classroom teacher has decided to use a communal snack technique. And I think that makes a lot of sense in the classroom. Everyone gets the same snack. The children can learn about serving and sharing. It’s all good. Now, you just need to see if you can educate the other parents on what you’ve learned from NuVal scores – what the best packaged snacks are.
Now, as you know, NuVal scores foods on a scale from 1-100, and 100 is highest. Not surprisingly, fruits and vegetables all score near 100. Packaged foods, for the most part, score in the lower ranges. Bugles Original, which you referenced, Sarah, score a 2 on the NuVal scale. Too bad you can’t bring bananas because they score a 91.
So, Sarah, I scoured the NuVal database for you and searched high and low for the best-scoring packaged snacks that will appease your kindergarten student. And believe me, I know. My daughter starts kindergarten on Monday!
- Keebler Grahams Crackers Cinnamon: 24
- Annie’s Home Grown Bite Size Whole Wheat Bunnies: 27
- Stauffer’s Animal Crackers Low-fat: 22
- Pepperidge Farm Baked Whole Grain Goldfish: 28
- Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips: 24
- Nabisco Honey Maid Grahams Honey: 23
- Sunshine Cheeze-It Reduced Fat: 23
- Nabisco 100% Whole Grain Fig Newtons: 23
- Original Triscuits: 32
- Health Valley Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: 34
- Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: 20
- Nabisco Mini Teddy Graham Honey Graham Snacks: 24
- Nabisco Teddy Graham Chocolate Snacks: 26
- Voortman Iced Oatmeal Cookies: 23
- Bearitos Organic Blue Corn Chips: 40
- Garden of Eatin No Salt Added Blue Chips: 52
Sarah, I hope this list helps you and your kindergarten class to have a more nutritious year. While the packaged foods don’t score nearly as high as fresh produce, you can find better choices than Bugles. I would suggest that you share this post with all of the parents in your daughter’s kindergarten class, but I’m afraid that the parent who brought in the Bugles will just die in shame! Hey, we all can’t get A’s all the time. Just buy something more nutritious next time!
In my own daughter’s kindergarten class, each parent sends in an individual snack on a daily basis. At Kindergarten Orientation today, our kindergarten teacher gave us some great guidelines for snacks, so come back tomorrow to see what she had to say!
Big Y Supermarkets Officially Launch NuVal Today
Attention all Massachusetts and Connecticut shoppers. Near a Big Y Supermarket? If you answered “yes”, get in your car and drive on over to one today. Today is Big Y’s official NuVal Launch! Congratulations to Phill Schneider, John Schnepp, Carrie Taylor, Andrea Samson and to everyone who we’ve been working with at Big Y to make this Launch a huge success. Very well done. Lucky for me there is a Big Y just about 15 minutes from my house!
Posted by: Melissa 7 comments
Posted in: Readers Ask
Tags: kindergarten snacks
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 9:25 am
This is SO helpful!! I am going to print this and not only tape it to the door of my cupboard but put a copy in my pocketbook for shoppings days too (and maybe to show parents at curriculum night). THANK YOU!!!
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 9:40 am
This list is not only good for children, it is great for everyone who packs a lunch whether it for school or work. I volunteer a few days every week and take lunch with me. I usually include a snack, now I have something beside fruit to select. THANKS FOR THE LIST.
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Nice list! I can’t imagine what it’s like in a peanut-free school. Must be difficult!
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Regular Cheerios, score of 37, make a great snack. (Actually I just had a bowl for lunch — added a handful of sliced almonds, a cut-up peach, and skim milk to make it even more nutritious).
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Thanks Melissa – this is really great! I am going to have the kids pick from this list for their school (and home) snacks
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Would it not be better for parents to discuss with teachers the value of choosing fewer packaged items and more fresh fruits and veg? Your choice of the best packaged snacks score only 1/4 the nutritional value of a banana!!! Start some change……there are no peanuts in mandarins or grape tomatoes!
on Sep 9th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
THANKS!
This is a great list! Thank you so much! I so appreciate your help! I will see what I can do to share your list with the teacher and the other parents. Maybe, at the very least, we can increase the frequency of healthy snacks and minimize the others. With only 20 or so minutes to eat lunch, that snack really counts for my daughter and I want her brain to get every benefit of nutrition that it can!