Kids & Summer: Sleep, Snacks, and Staying Healthy

Summer break is here, and your kids want to stay up later than during the school year. You probably set rules at the start of summer, but sometimes they’re hard to stick with.

Summer is full of challenges, like maintaining a healthy diet, limiting screen time (if that's an option in your home), and of course, sleep issues. Many kids stay awake too late and sometimes skip a nutritious breakfast.

According to expert and dietitian Dr. Maya Roseman, changes in meal timing and choices can lead to weight gain if less healthy foods are chosen. A study examining this issue and its relationship to weight, body fat percentage, daily calorie expenditure, children's behavior, and eating habits presents some fascinating findings.

In the study Dr. Roseman discusses, children aged 3-5 participated. She notes that "children who went to bed late tended to overeat, delayed the next day's meals, had a higher body fat percentage, burned fewer calories, and had an increased risk of obesity. Another proof of how crucial it is not to skip regular sleep hours for kids.

"Speaking of regular meals, it's important to remind everyone that breakfast cereals – most products have a nutritional value very similar to candy," Roseman adds. "Pouring an unmeasured pile of cereal into a bowl and adding milk is not much different than dumping wafers in a bowl, adding milk, and eating. There's nothing healthy about it."

The recommendation is to consume only 30 grams. "That portion isn't even enough for a two-year-old. So just be aware," she concludes.