Children love their snacks, we all know that. As parents, we often have difficulty saying no because we genuinely want to see them happy. The problem is that children start building their eating habits at a young age, and might start developing a taste for unhealthy food if you don’t correct the situation early. Thankfully, there are tons of healthy alternatives to chips and high sugar drinks that you can choose from that will not only be nutritious, but delicious as well. Here are a few great snack choices for growing kids.
Popcorn
Popcorn is a sure winner with kids and packs much more of a nutritional punch than you may think. One of the things that makes popcorn such a great snack is that it’s a whole grain. Popcorn is also full of fiber and can be very filling. You can jazz it up in tons of different ways too; you could add some grated cheese on top, cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar, or even nutritional yeast if you want.
Try making stovetop popcorn.
Yogurt Ice Pops
Kids love ice cream pops too, but they’re often very high in sugar and fat. But if you make them at home, you can control exactly what you put in them and come up with your own creations. You could use low-fat Greek yogurt as a base and add some fresh fruit juice of your choice with some pieces of whole fruit for extra chunkiness.
Try making frozen yogurt bites!
Cheese and Apples
Sweet and savory snacks are also a winning combination with kids, and there aren’t too many who will turn down delicious apple slices with a nice piece of cheddar. Apples will provide them with the right kind of sugar and will keep their mind sharp at school. Cheese is also high in protein, which is good for concentration as well. But you have to be careful with the surface you use when slicing fruit since harmful bacteria could easily transfer to them and lead to food intoxications. If you’re looking for the perfect work surface, these walnut cutting boards are good for slicing fruit and are naturally antibacterial. And they’ll look great in any kitchen too.
Cookies
While healthy isn’t the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of cookies, you can always make them at home and choose more nutritious ingredients. For instance, you could substitute all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour in most cases. You can also use rolled oats for
extra fiber. And if the recipe calls for butter, apple sauce makes for a great alternative.
Pizza
Pizza also often gets a bad rap, but you could easily whip up a healthy version at home. Pizza is the perfect meal for veggies and can be a great and fun way to introduce more of them into your children’s diet. Substitute a white flour crust with a thinner whole-wheat crust, and go for low-fat mozzarella instead of regular.
Grilled Cheese
A nice grilled cheese can make for a great afternoon snack and has everything kids need, but you have to make sure that you use the right ingredients. Replace white bread with whole-wheat or rye bread. Go for cheeses that are lower in fat like Monterey Jack, Provolone, or Swiss. For extra protein, you could add a little bit of low sodium ham in there. And if you want to add fiber, you could add a few thin slices of apple too.
If you want your children to start appreciating healthy food at a young age, you could start by giving them highly nutritious and tasty snacks. These few ideas will give them all the nutrients they need, and keep them full and happy all day long.
Creating and planning for healthy snacks takes some time. Check out more ideas on how to make healthy snacks work for your home.
