The Skinny on 6 Snack Picks

Granola Bars

Label reading matters in this category more than most. The calories range from 125 to 350—that may or may not make a difference to your child, but at the higher end, that number rivals a whole meal that offers so many more nutrients. The kind of calories (and what comes with them) is what's at issue. Look for words like ‘glucose-fructose' ‘sugar' ‘liquid invert sugar' and any other words that end in ‘ose'. Add them up—there shouldn't be more than one. If there is, it's likely a hoodwink to move ‘sugar' down the ingredient list by dividing up the types. Instead, make sure a whole grain is number one on the list, that there are at least two grams of fibre per serving, and there is no more than one source of sugar. Better yet, bake your own muffins, bars and squares.