- Healthy Snacks
Healthy snacks are as important to your child’s growth and development as healthy meals. After some planning, you can provide nutritious snacks to kids effortlessly. Simply take some fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables and a few other ingredients and you may whip up a healthy snack in no time at all. Planning a healthy diet for children is important because children are often reliant on the guidance of their parents to be aware what to eat. Because a child's body continues to be growing and developing, proper nutrition is of the utmost importance.
The important thing would be to provide children with nutritious snacks that don’t undermine our primary objective of keeping them healthy and fit. Avoid foods which are fried, processed, too oily or too salty. And, definitely keep sugar to some minimum. If your child eats healthy snacks from the beginning, they’ll likely continue to make good food choices in their lives.
In addition to planning healthy and well-balanced meals, parents should also provide their children with healthy snacks.
Cheese
The protein within this kid-friendly snack keeps energy levels high until dinnertime. We love to to stick salt-free pretzel sticks into cubes of low-fat cheese to create "satellite snacks," but you can also make cheese more interesting to kids foods by performing into fun shapes having a cookie cutter and making kabobs with your favorite fruit.
Yogurt
This one is a reasonably easy sell, even with younger children, while offering lots of bone-building calcium and digestion-aiding probiotics. Instead of sugary “fruit” yogurts offered at the store, make your own by blending fresh or frozen fruit with low-fat regular or Greek yogurt. Passionfruit, mango and other local fruits work particularly well. You’ll save an awful lot of empty calories and add vitamins and nutrients.
Fresh fruit
Nothing's much better than fresh fruit: It's colorful, sweet and juicy, full of vitamins and minerals, and full of fiber. Serve sliced apple, orange sections, half a sliced banana, or perhaps a small bowl of sliced grapes, or give your child a number of mixed berries. Toddlers love finger food, causing this to be an easy and fun way to have a nutritious snack.
Peanut Butter
This versatile childhood favorite has lots of protein and fiber. For a change, try making silly sandwiches with toasted mini waffles or rice cakes rather than bread, or try it with yogurt and raspberries inside a yummy frozen treat that's super fun to consume.
Frozen Fruit
The simple act of popping fruit within the freezer for a few hours transforms this nutritious staple right into a sweet, tasty treat that’s perfect for steamy weather. Watermelon, banana and grapes all freeze exceptionally well. For any slightly more decadent dessert, freeze whole peeled bananas, then dip them in melted chocolate and sprinkle all of them with crushed almonds. Think of it as a lighter alternative to ice cream bars.
Eggs
Scrambled eggs take just a few minutes. Try adding turkey and cheese, or mix in salsa and wrap inside a tortilla for a burrito. Make hard-cooked eggs on the weekend and store them within the fridge for weekday snacks.
Nuts/Nut Butters
Although high in calories, nuts provide a variety of essential nutrients for growing brains and bodies. All nuts are relatively high in fiber, protein and beneficial unsaturated fats, but some possess a few extra perks. Walnuts have high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids necessary for cognitive development. Cashews are high in zinc and other trace elements. Pecans have antioxidant levels which are off the charts. Keep a variety on hand to ensure that your children have a salty snack to munch rather than processed chips.
- Healthy Snacks for Kids
Popcorn
Popcorn gets a bad reputation because of all the stale movie theater versions dripping with partially hydrogenated fake butter. When prepared at home though, this kid-friendly snack is really surprisingly wholesome. It’s high in fiber and has a minimal caloric density. Use an air-popper or even the microwave, then drizzle the popped kernels having a small amount of olive oil or melted butter and salt.
