Snacks

Please make sure your child brings a snack to school everyday!

SNACKS ARE IMPORTANT for providing children with nutrients to support growth and learning. Their brains need fuel for them to be functional in class…particularly when they come to school having not had breakfast, or having had doughnuts (donuts) or Pop Tarts or other sugars for breakfast. Please keep in mind there are several students with nut allergies.  Please don't bring snacks with peanuts.

HOWEVER… snacks just for the sake of snacking can often be more harmful than good, if the kids are eating the wrong kinds of food. A bunch of junk sugar speeds them up briefly, but then crashes them. A student sleeping through a sugar lull is not learning.

IF the student eats a snack that is high in carbohydrates/sugars, it needs to be the natural, complex kind of sugars, not the altered, refined kinds of carbohydrates/sugars. AND if the student eats a snack that is high in carbohydrates/sugars, it needs to be accompanied by some protein.

IDEALLY, their snack will be a snack high in proteins and low in sugars.

Below, We have listed a small sampling of snack options that are GOOD, some that are OK, but we prefer they don’t bring them too frequently, and some that we simply won’t allow in class, because they will actually be a hindrance to learning .

ALWAYS A GREAT CHOICE

• Fresh fruit with yogurt

• Fruit and cheese kabobs

• Vegetables with hummus

• Sandwiches—whole grain bread with ham, turkey, cheese (low fat condiments)

• Cheese sticks or string cheese

• High protein, low carb trail mix

• Whole grain, high protein, low carb Granola bars or breakfast bars

OKAY CHOICES BUT NOT TOO OFTEN

• Low-fat pretzels or popcorn

• 100% fruit snacks

• Fruit crisps or bakes (made with little added sugar and whole grain toppings)

• Fresh fruit without any accompanying protein

• Low carb graham crackers or animal crackers

UNHEALTHY CHOICES - HINDERS LEARNERING 

• Sugary breakfast cereals

• Pop Tarts and high carb breakfast bars

• Candy, chocolate, gum

• Chips

• Gummy bears or fruit rollups

• Doughnuts (donuts)

We may have to play some snacks by ear as students bring them into class. Please keep in mind that the only reason we allow snacks at the Academy is to AID in the learning process. We believe a healthy snack can help your child learn. But unhealthy snacks will need to wait until later. THANKS!