Finding great healthy snacks for kids is an ongoing challenge for every parent. With busy schedules, fixed grocery budgets and the discerning palates of children, making healthy choices is a process often pushed aside. Fortunately, parents and kids can work together to choose healthy options that are affordable and easy to find in the grocery store.
Snacks with Cheese
Adding protein such as cheese to a child’s snack helps the child to feel full while preventing the sugar high that sends kids bouncing off the walls. Most kids enjoy mild flavored medium-hard cheeses such as cheddar, Monterey Jack and Colby. Some snacks to try with cheese include:
•Cheese paired with whole-grain crackers
•Cheese and fruit kabobs
•Quesadillas with cheese, refried black beans and salsa for dipping
•Pinwheels made with a tortilla, cheese, and hummus or meat, rolled up and sliced into rounds
•Cheese flowers, which are cheese shapes cut out with cookie cutters and put onto pretzel stick “stems”
Peanut Butter
So long as a child is not allergic to nuts, peanut butter is an affordable, filling and easy option for many different snacks. Some creative options include:
•Spread on celery and line with raisins for “ants on a log”
•Spread onto tortillas and drizzle with honey for an alternative to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
•Use as a spread on mini waffles or rice cakes
Yogurt
Yogurt contains live active cultures that can help kids who are prone to belly aches. With so many styles of yogurt, including Greek yogurt, fruit-filled yogurt and mousse-style yogurt, there’s sure to be a flavor to please even the pickiest eaters. Parents can serve yogurt as a snack in these ways:
•Mixed with pureed fruit and frozen into popsicles
•Made into a parfait with layers of fresh fruit and granola
•Mixed with frozen fruit and almond milk or apple juice as a smoothie
Fruit
Sweet fresh fruit is a staple in the homes of many families. To keep this snack affordable, stick with seasonal fruits such as apples in the fall, oranges in winter and strawberries in the summer. Some creative ways to serve fruit to children include:
•Mixed into oatmeal
•Added to cold cereal
•Cut and ready for dipping into yogurt
These great healthy snacks for kids are quick to make. They are also easy to bring while on the go, just put them into a reusable lunch sack.
