Snacks can be categorised as “healthy” or “unhealthy” depending on their composition.
Unhealthy snacks can be defined as those which have low nutritional value and have a high content of refined sugar, saturated fat and salt (William et al. 2008, p.3). Some examples include chocolate bars, chips, cakes and pastries. These may also be referred to as high calorie snacks.
On the other hand, healthy snacks are those which are low in fat, sugar, sodium and salt and include whole grain foods, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and low-fat dairy products.
Snacks are significant contributors to the nutritional intake of youngsters but unfortunately, their food choices while snacking tend to be high in sugar, sodium and fat while being relatively low in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
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