Kids' snacks need to be easy and convenient, but how do we make them healthy?

Last year, our daughter, Maya, started working at Fit Snack Shop. The shop had a simple goal that turned out to be quite complex in practice: sell healthy snacks that can replace the typical "kid diet," but still taste good. Maya's time there helped broaden her diet and made her more mindful about nutrition. A big piece of that was as simple as having access to healthier alternatives. When we found out the store was closing, we were disappointed that the business we'd grown to love with a mission we were passionate about would no longer be available. As a physical therapist, I regularly educate others about living a lifestyle that leads to prevention of chronic diseases, including eating more nutritiously. I know how important it is that we support our schools and give them resources to teach our children healthy habits. We thought, what better way to help than buy the store? It was certainly a risk during the pandemic, but having to appeal to a more digital audience forced us to be creative. Since the store's reopening, we've introduced our products at pop-up shops and farmer's markets, as well as provided them to the Norwalk High School cheerleading squad. We've also found success using digital tools to promote our pop up shops, and social media has helped us better connect with our community to communicate that good tasting, healthy food is affordable and accessible here in Norwalk. From my experience, kids WILL eat healthier options if offered. I'd like to take things a step further and integrate healthy snacks into the entire school. Let's work with our schools to educate them that healthy snacking doesn't have to break the bank or sacrifice taste. In the end, our kids' futures will be better for it. Patty Abrigo-Naidenoff is a physical therapist and owner of FIt Snack Shop with her husband, Brett Naidenoff.