New childhood obesity study tells us convenient store snacks can be adding to many calories to your child's diet.

New childhood obesity study from University of Montreal indicates that how close a child lives to a convenience store promotes childhood obesity.

Well, it makes sense.  Convenience store carry food items that are processed and usually high in fat and/or sugar.  Do you go to a convenience store to buy fruit or vegetables?  Well, no, because they don't really sell that.  So what do you get at a convenience store?  slushies, chips, candy, soda, cookies...

Another study done in urban areas found that kids who lived near convenience store purchased:

• On average, the students spent about $1 and purchased 356 calories of snack foods and drinks each visit.
• Chips, candy, sugary beverages and gum were the most frequent purchases

It is probably not a good idea for kids to go to these convenience stores to buy their snacks.   But in all honesty, even if you had a grocery store full of fruits and vegetables at the corner, would your child go there and still buy the processed high calorie food?   And of course the older a child is, the harder it is to control their "away from home" eating habits.  This is very true.

That is why it is so important to help kids develop healthy habits and a love for healthy foods while they are young and have not formed their habits yet.  That is what we are all about.  Helping parents and educators teach kids about healthy eating and activity while they are still young and just starting to form habits.

This could be a very good healthy goal for your child and family to work on.  It can be as simple as having one healthy snack a day!  Simplicity and fun are the key to helping your child be successful.  Children like to do things that are positive and they feel successful.  Don't we all?

More resources to help kids eat healthy snacks:

Healthy Kids Snacks Agreement

Healthy Kids Snacks Fun Tracking Sheets

Take the Healthy Eating Challenge Article

Healthy Summer Snack Foods For Kids Article