When I was growing up, after school snacks were a necessity. Sometimes school lunch was held at 10:30 in the morning (!) and I would be starving by the time I got home. In fact, I actually used to bring a snack to school just to get through my late afternoon math class, and I still needed that snack once I was home to hold me over until dinnertime.
Young kids are still growing, and they need to eat healthy foods throughout the day. Even for adults, snacking serves a purpose. I’m with the camp that says four, five or even six small healthy snacks eaten throughout the day are more than adequate and often serve as a more digestible and enjoyable alternative to three calorie-dense meals.
The key here is nutrition. Though the most convenient snacks are those that take little to no time to prepare, the options that come to mind first tend to be those pre-packaged items that scream, “Buy me!” from the store shelves, with their brightly colored and ribbon-adorned labels. Though they taste great (sometimes…) they’re usually packed with sugar, salt and fat and lack the good stuff that growing bodies need.
To replace those options, here are 7 Healthy Snack Recipes for Kids to get you started:
Made with orange juice and Greek yogurt, these popsicles from the Food Network taste just like Creamsicles, without the added sugar and preservatives.
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Made with a tasty seasoning mixture that combines sundried tomatoes, spices, and nutritional yeast (tastes just like cheese!) this whole grain snack from the Food Network is big on flavor.
Skip the potato chips and make your own apple chips at home instead, using this recipe from the Food Network. No need for a fancy food dehydrator – you can make these right in the oven.
This recipe from Eating Well takes “Good Old Raisins and Peanuts” to the next level, with the addition of almonds, chopped pitted dates, dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips (rich in antioxidants!). If it were up to me, I’d throw in some yogurt-covered raisins as well.
Whereas the classic ranch dressing (a kid-approved favorite) is made with added sugar, salt and preservatives, making your own at home is a great way to control the ingredients and nutritional content.
This recipe from Eating Well is low in fat, salt and sugar, but it’s big on flavor. Serve with fresh veggies for dipping – sliced carrots, celery, bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and jicama are great sources of healthy nutrients and fiber.
Ants on a log are great for the sweet-toothed peanut butter and raisin lovers among us, but what about our “salt-toothed” friends?
Give these Frogs on a Log a whirl, courtesy of eating well. Fill celery sticks with low-cal cream cheese, and perch a row of sliced pimento-stuffed olives on top.
Not only are kale chips nutrient dense and delicious, these can even be made in the waffle iron.
This recipe, taken from Daniel Shumski’s book Will it Waffle?, gets a tasty burst of added flavor from the addition of a touch of sesame oil and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. They’re great made with a combination of olive oil and garlic, too.
Just remember to dry the leaves well before waffling, or they’ll steam instead of crisping up.
Will it Waffle? on Amazon to books.rememberstuff.meStill looking for more snacking options to satisfy those hungry kids? Search for healthy snack recipes for kids here on rememberstuff.me!
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