Healthy Snacks For Kids
Not sure what snacks to pack your children for lunch? Check out these 20 snacks that a will not only satisfy their tummies but also are healthy!
1.) Whole Grain Cereal
With vitamins, calcium, and fiber, a bowl of enriched whole grain cereal with milk and fruit is a power-packed snack or healthy start to the day. For a fun and flavorful twist, try our cute clusters with yogurt-covered cereal and dried strawberries.
2.) Cheese
The protein in this kid-friendly snack keeps energy levels high until dinnertime. We like to stick salt-free pretzel sticks into cubes of low-fat cheese to make "satellite snacks," but you can also make cheese more interesting to kids by cutting it into fun shapes with a cookie cutter and making kabobs with your favorite fruit.
3.) Smoothies
spices, and a leaf-shaped cookie cutter!
11.)
Peanut Butter
This versatile childhood favorite has plenty of protein and fiber. For a change, try making silly PB&J saKids
go crazy over these delicious sippable treats, and they're packed with
nutrients. Use nonfat vanilla yogurt, 100 percent orange juice, and a
banana as the smoothie's base, then experiment with a combination of
cut-up fresh or frozen fruit. It's a great way to sneak two or three
servings of fruit and fiber into your child's diet.
5.) Strawberries
If
you feel like all your kids eat are bananas and apples, try introducing
vitamin C-packed fresh strawberries to their diet. For a perfect snack
when you're short on time, try this vitamin- and protein-rich snack with
only three ingredients. To add an extra-healthy option, choose whole
wheat crepes.
6.) Healthier Baked Goods
Your
child will never guess you're sneaking fruits or vegetables into her
diet when you bake them into yummy muffins or breads. Banana bread,
zucchini muffins, and carrot bars are a few of our favorites for kids.
Our tasty Yam and Jam Muffins contain beta-carotene and potassium from
the sweet potatoes, but only you will know.
7.) Yogurt
Low-fat
yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, and children love it dressed
up. To add taste and nutritional value, whip up a yogurt parfait with
berries and granola or make a homemade fruity yogurt pop that beats
sugary store-bought frozen treats any day.
8.) Quesadillas
You
can mix anything with a calcium-rich cheese quesadilla: chopped
vegetables, leftover cooked chicken, or even shrimp. Try our Bean and
Cheese Quesadillas, which are easy to make and fun for kids to hold.
Don't forget to buy a chunky veggie salsa -- with the folate in the
corn, the lycopene in the tomatoes, and the fiber in the beans, this
snack packs a nutritional punch.
9.) Sweet Potatoes
Sweet
spuds are some of the most nutritious vegetables around: They're packed
with vitamin A and are good sources of B6, C, and folate. These simple,
delicious chips are great alternatives to the greasy, store-bought
variety.
10.) Leaf Chips
These crispy and crunchy leaf chips are super easy to make -- all you need are tortillas, herbs and spices, and a leaf-shaped cookie cutter!
11.) Peanut Butter
This versatile childhood favorite has plenty of protein and fiber. For a change, try making silly PB&J sandwiches with toasted mini waffles or rice cakes instead of bread, or try it with yogurt and raspberries in a yummy frozen treat that's super fun to eat.
12.) Eggs
One egg provides a 4-year-old with almost one-third of her protein requirements for the day. Keep a bunch of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge (they last for seven days), or scramble an egg and roll it up in a flour tortilla. Another great idea: our easy breakfast pita that can be made the night before for an on-the-go meal.
13.) Hummus
Made from pureed chickpeas, hummus is an excellent dip for kids. It has an appealing nutty flavor, is thick enough not to be messy, and contains folate, vitamin B6, and iron. Serve hummus with cut-up vegetables or salt-free crackers for dipping, or use it to make a pita bread sandwich.
14.) Noodles
Pasta is a fabulous source of complex carbohydrates. Pick some in your child's favorite shape, and cook up a batch to keep in the refrigerator. At snacktime, microwave a half-cup serving tossed with veggies or cooked chicken and jarred tomato sauce. Our easy protein- and fiber-rich penne has only four ingredients and is done in 20 minutes.
15.) Pears
Rich in fiber and available year-round, pears come in many delicious varieties. Serve up equally nutritious canned pears with a small bowl of low-fat cottage cheese or pack a juicy whole pear in your child's lunch box. For an after-school snack, our Pear Pinwheels are perfect picks with three easy ingredients.
16.) Indy Fruit Racers
These snacks are turbo-charged with vitamins! Kids will love how apple slices and grapes are turned into speeding cars.
17.) Snack Mix
Toss together a healthy combo of nuts, pretzels, whole grain cereal, banana chips, and popcorn for a handy, portable snack. Nuts contain must-have minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc. Try our kid-friendly Nutty Popcorn and Fruit Mix, or make up one of your own yummy combinations!
18.) Low-Fat Ham
It tastes just as good as regular ham, but the low-fat version is much healthier and a great way to boost your child's protein intake. Roll up a slice on its own or with a piece of cheese, make mini crustless ham sandwiches, or try our Ham and Cheese Crepes with diced ham, melty cheese, and tomatoes baked inside.
19.) Raisins
Raisins have a lot of good things going for them such as fiber, potassium, and vitamins. Even if your picky eaters aren't going for a handful of raisins out of the box, we have a super yummy raisin snack they won't be able to pass up. Kids will love to dip and swirl apple wedges or carrot sticks for a healthy and delicious scoop of creamy covered raisins.
20.) Apples
Apples are the go-to healthy fruit, but if you're feeling the boring apple blues and want to switch up your applesauce routine, try this delicious Instant Apple Crisp to get the vitamin C and fiber you've come to count on from apples. For an added treat, sprinkle with fresh blueberries and a dollop of low-fat vanilla yogurt.
