Healthy Snacks for Kids
fun and healthy snacks for kids
Try these healthy snack recipes for kids that your family will love!
Smart Snacking Tips
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Kids begging for the prepackaged cheese, crackers and lunch meat? Make your own healthier version. Pick up a few reusable containers with dividers, and add fruit, veggies, cheese, whole grain crackers and other good stuff. Add a frozen container of milk, water or 100 per cent fruit juice to keep things cool until snack time.
“Make healthy snacks visible,” advises Friesz. Cut up fruit and veggies ahead of time and put them front and center in the fridge. And make a habit of saying “look in the fridge” first (rather than the cupboard where the sweet stuff likely lives).
“Jazzy names work well,” notes Smith, who found that lunch meat “cigars” were popular in her household. “Ants on a log” – celery spread with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese and topped with raisins – are good too, says Friesz.
Fun And Healthy Snacks For Kids
Most of us are a little guilty of allowing our kids to indulge in junk food every once in a while. However, diets high in refined sugar and fat are seriously harmful to your child’s health. Liver damage, poor concentration, and obesity are just some of the consequences attributed to too much junk food.
The American Diabetes Association estimates that about 1 in every 400 to 600 children have diabetes. With the majority of school cafeterias offering little in the way of healthy food, and with the growing rate of junk food advertisements on TV, it is now more important than ever to promote healthy eating habits for your children.
Here are a few ideas for fun snacks you can make for your kids to get you started:
Fruit Shake
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Fruit shakes are easy to make and delicious. It’s also a great way to make sure your kids are getting their daily fruit intake. Along with the fruit, you can use water or milk as the base. All you need to do is chop up the fruit, chuck it in the blender along with your base, and your child has a deliciously, healthy drink full of vitamins.
Here are some fun combinations to try:
Banana and strawberry
Strawberry and pineapple
Mango, papaya, banana, and apple
Orange, apple, banana
None of these recipes should require sugar, so resist adding it. However, if your child complains it’s not sweet enough, you may want to add a bit of honey.
Fun & Healthy Snacks for Kids
Looking for a quick and healthy snack for the kids?
Here are a few tasty ideas that you can surprise them with, or let them make on their own.
1. Bugs On A Log: They’ll love it just for the name! Simply spread peanut butter onto celery stalks, and then top with raisins (the bugs). Yummy.
2. Melon Balls: Show them that ice cream scoops can be used for more than just ice cream. Scoop the “meat” out of watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe and serve them on a tray with colorful toothpicks in each one.
3. Quesadillas: You don’t have to drive to a Mexican restaurant to enjoy these melted treats. Simply sprinkle shredded cheese onto a tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and microwave it until the cheese is gooey. Cut the quesadilla into triangle-shaped wedges and dip in salsa.
4. Frozen Grapes: The entire family will enjoy this cool treat once summer arrives. Place a washed bowl of grapes into the freezer for an hour or so. Don’t forget to cut the grapes in half for smaller children and toddlers.
5. Peanut Butter Squares: Kids will eat just about anything that’s covered in yummy peanut butter! Spread peanut butter onto a cracker (or a rice cake). Add a couple of apple slices then top with another cracker to form a little cracker sandwich.
6. Snackers Delight: Children change their minds with the wind, so be prepared with a medley of their favorites! Fill each cup of a muffin tin with different treats such as nuts, raisins, cheese cubes, pretzels, carrot slices and sunflower seeds.
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