While no food should be considered a “guilty” pleasure (remember, moderation is key!) it is an unfortunate fact that some of our favorite indulgences don’t exactly provide the most in terms of nutritional and health benefits. After all, as much as it is perfectly fine to satisfy your sweet tooth with the occasional cookie, we all know that no one—parents and kids alike—should be chowing down on that delectable doughy, sweet confection all day, every day. Wouldn’t that be nice, though?

This post is perfect for anyone trudging through one of those dreaded mid-week cravings! Moderately priced, convenient, and (most importantly) both healthy and delicious: don’t hesitate to check out these five vendors selling wholesome homemade treats made with fresh and natural ingredients of all varieties. And if you’re worried about convenience, these vendors all host WeChat pages through which you can place your order and simply wait for your delicacies to be delivered straight to your doorstep!

Morning Lab
Want a cookie? Morning Lab offers a plethora of your and your family’s favorite classics, from the likes of cookies to brownies. Their goodies are guaranteed to be fresh—baked and shipped on the daily. Indulge also in a selection of yogurt and granola bowls featuring some of their signature recipes. All products use only simple and whole ingredients and contain minimal to no sugar as well as no oil, butter, or flour. Note: Products are also suitable for Ketogenic diets. WeChat: morninglab

Yeyo Yogurt
Tired of the sugar and preservative packed yogurt options that plague the fridges of every convenience store? Yeyo Yogurt offers a unique selection of different flavors of hand-crafted yogurts paired with simple ingredient toppings and all-natural sweeteners. Their yogurt range is all dairy-free, and features healthy coconut milk as its primary component, in the stead of regular cow’s milk. WeChat: yeyo-yogurt

Dali Bars
Let’s steer clear of that Snickers bar for a moment. Look here instead—Dali Bars is a Chinese business started by a trio of entrepreneurs from the United States, offering specialty all-natural fruit and nut bars with no added sugars and whole ingredients. Their range offers a variety of unique flavors including Apple Pie and Cocoa Almond. WeChat: dalibars

NAKED Nut Butters
Just as their CEO and co-founder proudly claims: “Less is more”! NAKED Nut Butters offers a delicious deviation from the distinct and widely recognizable flavors of processed peanut butter of brands like Skippy and Jif. But let’s face it: from the hydrogenation to the added sugars and artificial flavors, these big name brands aren’t exactly helping our healthy lifestyles. Try NAKED Nut Butters—their specialty almond and cashew butters all use no more than two to three ingredients, and are sure to delight. WeChat: nakednutbutters

Bu Shao
Bu Shao offers a homemade range of locally sourced whole-ingredient snacks such from the likes fruit leather to granola. Forget the additives, sugars, and fats of store-brand snacks—this is the place to go for some convenient on-the-go eats that will benefit your daily schedule (and your waistline). Also: don’t forget to check out their variety of uniquely flavored kale chips with only one key ingredient—kale! WeChat: bushao2015

Photos: Feedspot.com, TheBeijinger.com, Iliangcang.com, Dalibars.com

Undoubtedly, it’s been said time and time again: Beijing is a city with countless dining options. From mobile kowlongmian carts that roam the streets to five-star sit-down restaurants of all cuisines to even the infamous universal sprawl of fast food, this city is a sheer agglomeration of different cultures and unique flavors, sure to satisfy almost any palate that comes through. With that said, we all know that some of these options, unfortunately, aren’t exactly the family-tailored establishments we oftentimes look for when we want to take the kids out for a pleasant, feel-good lunch or dinner on the weekend.

Fortunately, the city isn’t also without its countless establishments that cater perfectly to a comfortable group visit that is guaranteed to leave you satisfied and with full bellies. Feel welcome to try one of these five great family-friendly restaurants on your next family night out!

1) Haidilao Hot Pot

As the old saying goes, no food tastes better than food you cooked yourself. Enjoy a tasty and social experience as the family sits around a table with a hot pot in the center, where you can dip in all your favorite delicacies—from lamb to seafood to pork brains (yep!)—that arrive uncooked at your table. Be sure to order their shoulamian, a dish and a show rolled into one!

You can find Haidilao at various locations throughout the city.

2) Din Tai Fung (Soup Dumplings)

Experience a refined rendition of a unique cultural cuisine. Din Tai Fung is renowned the world over for their signature xialongbao, a mini steamed dumpling packed with meat filling and a soup that is indescribably rich in flavor. Enjoy xialongbao and various other cultural delights in a vibrant and pleasantly busy atmosphere that plays homage to the vibes of traditional Chinese dianxinfang (“Dim Sum Houses”).

You can find Din Tai Fung at various locations throughout the city.

3) Moka Bros (Healthy Fare)

Ever dream of collapsing into an inviting beanbag chair and chowing down on a tasty meal at the same time? Well, Moka Bros has got you covered. From Poké bowls to quinoa salad to fresh smoothies, this restaurant offers countless healthy options that are a treat for your taste buds (and your waistline). Be comforted to know that the kids will be eating fresh and locally sourced ingredients, all while enjoying the fun, homey atmospheres their various locations provide for customers.

You can find Moka Bros at various locations throughout the city.

4) Slow Boat Sanlitun Brewpub (Wings and Burgers)

A brew for the parents and a burger for the kids. For years in tow, Slow Boat Brewery, first in the hutongs and now in Sanlitun has reclaimed the crown this year after their back-to-back victory in the 2015 and 2016 Beijing Burger Cup with their award-winning “Fryburger”—a beef patty topped with cheese, house aioli sauce, and a golden tower of beer-battered French Fries. Other delicious options include their signature wings, a sweet dessert selection, and (of course) their very own craft beer for the adults. Though their menu may be bold and adventurous, their venue is simple and aesthetic, a perfect setting for a family dinner out and about in the city.

You can find Slow Boat Brewery at #6 South Sanlitun Street, Chaoyang District.

5) Kerry’s Kitchen (Brunch Buffet)

If the kids won’t eat, let them run around in the Adventure Zone and work up an appetite! No, seriously, Kerry’s Kitchen Brunch at the Kerry Hotel in Chaoyang offers a kids’ play area in conjunction to their mouth-watering buffet of both Eastern and Western classics. The dining area is spacey and inviting, and their Buffet Package offers complimentary wine and beer for the grown-ups.

Photos: Haidilao.com, Everythinghapa.com, Thebeijinger.com, Tripadvisor.co.uk, Lumdimsum.com

There’s only so much time in the day for the whole family to sit down together and enjoy a wholesome, home-cooked meal. Unfortunately for us, this means we’ll likely often be struck with some of those dreaded hunger pangs as we go about our jam-packed everyday lives. Enter snacking. Though it’s a heavily debated topic, let’s face it: snacking will oftentimes be our savior in the midst of a long day. But the real question remains: is this snacking really good for us? And for that matter, is it really good for the children?

To be fair, there is a simple reason for why this topic is so controversial. “Snacking” itself does not actually possess a concrete scientific definition. Likewise, an answer as to whether this snacking is really beneficial (or detrimental) to a child’s health remains just as ambiguous. And because of this, the best we can do is to try and better understand it—and its implications—and take the time to analyze it from a few different perspectives.

Statistically, children today are snacking more than ever before. According to Dr. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutritional health at the University of North Carolina, children aged between 2 and 8 around the world, on average, currently consume anywhere from three to seven snacks (which he designates as “[any]food consumed superfluously between the day’s primary meals”) every day. Compare that to not that long ago; the mean number of snacks consumed, per day, by children of the same demographic in 1970 was a mere one to two.

So what does this mean, exactly? Are children today becoming intoxicated by the addictive nature of calorie-laden snack foods? Of high concentrations of sodium, sugar, and dietary fats? Well, not exactly. Or, rather, it depends. And this is exactly where the multiple perspectives angle comes in.

Children are growing, and this in itself means that they have substantially higher energy needs than adults. Simply put, they burn a lot of calories every day just being them. And to support growth in early years, it is beneficial for them to consume at least as many calories as they expend. The problem is that, oftentimes, even with three meals a day, it can be difficult to satisfy those caloric requirements, especially for children who are active in their day-to-day lives (think after-school soccer or basketball or tennis practices multiple days a week). This is where snacking is especially helpful—providing some growth-stimulating fuel throughout a child’s daily schedule.

But again, multiple perspectives. Snacking carries with it a barrage of caveats that must be addressed. Despite the advantages that come with implementing snacks into your child’s diet, it must be done with care and strategy. This means paying close attention to not only the content of the snacks themselves, but also the ways in which they are being consumed. After all, packing pre-portioned organic nut butter with fresh celery sticks for your child’s morning recess is really not the same thing as allowing him or her to pop open a bag of deep-fried potato chips and plop down in front of the television.

In summary, the takeaway should be as follows. First, monitor (if possible) and consider the quality of the foods your child is used to snacking on. If you find that their choices tend to lean towards the unhealthy, remember that small changes can really go a long way. For instance, 100 grams of watermelon yields a respectable volume of fruit, and boasts a mere 30 calories, while 100 grams of, say, M&M’s barely give you a measly handful, and pack on a whopping 480 calories.

Second, consider constructing your own approach to snacking which you’d like to see your child adopt. If a kid is left to their own devices, it wouldn’t be surprising that they’d give in to their cravings and pick the cupcake over the apple. But few children would refuse the apple if it were given to them to begin with. Not to mention, introducing structure into the way your child snacks can provide a sense of comfort—for both you and them. If you know that your child tends to get hungry coming home in the afternoon, have some healthy snack options ready. You will be comforted to know what’s going into their bellies, and they, in turn, will know to expect a wholesome treat after a long day at school. Over time, a structure like this can adapt a child’s mindset—building, early on, a healthy and balanced relationship with food.

Photos: alarmy.com, longroom.com.uk, The Food Network