When a child is hungry, he or she will stop at nothing until the hunger is satisfied. Now if you’re the typical parent, you would do everything in your power just to prepare that healthy and tasty snack that your child will eat without second thoughts. Can you imagine the stress level that it entails especially if you have many children? How about teaching them to prepare some easy snacks that they can do on their own?
In this article, I will share with you 9 easy snacks like my waffle fry recipe that you kids can prepare on their own. These are healthy snacks, you will have peace of mind because you know they are eating the right amount of calories and other nutrients. On top of that, these are amazingly easy to make, they will immediately pick the skill on the first try. Can you already feel the stress relief?
- Vegetables and dip
If you have some broccoli and baby carrots, cauliflower and bell peppers, tomatoes or cut up cucumber, together with some ranch dip at the lower compartment of the fridge, you 2 or 3-year old can easily locate that and eat on their own. Not only will this relieve you of serving snack every time your toddler gets hungry, it will also teach your child to locate his or her own food.
- Cheese and fruit kabobs
The good thing with allowing kids to participate in preparing their snack is that it helps them develop motor skills. Not only that, it also fosters a good relationship between you and your kids. Preparing grapes, cheese cubes and cut up pineapple threaded on kabob stick is something they will remember when they become adults someday. Just be watchful because grapes can be a choking hazard for kids below 3 years of age.
- Yogurt parfaits
If you have 4-5 years old, preparing yogurt parfaits sweetened with fruits is a healthy treat they can’t refuse. Instead of using fructose corn syrup which is unhealthy and expensive, fruits is the better alternative. Your child will get all the vitamins and fiber from the fruits without too much sugar.
- Ants on a log
Do you remember your grandma preparing celery sticks coated with peanut butter with raisins as toppings? You can just use an icing bag to contain the peanut butter so that your kids will just pipe it into the celery sticks without making a mess.
- Peanut butter toast
Making a toast is a great way to introduce your child to cooking. It will teach them early on why it’s important not to touch hot surfaces, and also how to manipulate the toaster tongs to get the toast. To make it a healthy snack, you can opt for whole bread and peanut butter.
- Cheese sandwich toast
This version is what my kids love. You just follow the procedure for peanut butter toast except that this time, you will use slices of cheese.
- Microwave popcorn
This is perhaps the easiest. But if you want to be more frugal, you can just use 1/3 cup popcorn kernel, put it into a paper lunch bag, cover with plastic a chip clip and microwave it. In an instant, you have a quick snack that your kids can easily prepare. To avoid having spilled kernels, just prepare the bags ahead of time so that they will just get it whenever they want to.
- Microwave pizza
If your kids are old enough, you can teach them how to make their own microwave pizza. You can just make your own pita bread or buy those pre-made ones, top it with sauce, cheese and the rest of their favorite toppings. Try to experiment ahead of time with your microwave to see if the cheese melts without making the sauce too hot. Take note of the time it takes to cook so that you kids will just follow.
- Fruit smoothies
When different fruits are in season, you can just put together bags that your child and just dunk into the smoothie maker. I’d usually put 2 peeled bananas, 2 cups of berries and a tablespoon of orange juice puree. I’d put it in a resealable plastic bag that my kids can just get and make a smoothie when they want to.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. These 9 healthy snacks are dead simple, your child can easily learn them on the first try. Not only do they learn how to cook early on, you also relieve yourself of the stress of preparing them snacks every time they need one all by yourself.
How about you moms out there? Do you have a trick on how to prepare snacks for your kids that they can easily learn? Share your wisdom in the comment section below.
Author bio:
Claire is the founder of SumoChef, and her passion is cooking. Her unique approach to cooking is the result of her varied experience and travel abroad. She believes that food is what actually unites people and the dining table is where we set aside our differences. SumoChef is where she finds expression to her passion and she hopes to be able to contribute to your cooking experience through this.
What a great idea for an article! Good ideas.