Growing children need to eat healthy, well-balanced diets to support their developing bodies. Eating a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner are a good start, but children—especially those who are going through a growth spurt—will likely feel the need to snack between meal times, as well. It is important to teach children to choose healthy snacks instead of junk food.
It is critical that growing children eat healthy, well-balanced diets to support their developing bodies and minds. A carefully planned breakfast, lunch and dinner is a great start, however children grow so quickly that they may feel the need to snack between meals.
Boy with Healthy Fruit Snacks
There is nothing wrong with snacking between meal times, so long as children are eating healthy snacks and not filling up on sugary junk foods. Helping children to choose healthy snacks is vital. It lays the framework for the rest of their lives.
Here are some ideas for quick and tasty healthy snacks that kids will love:
- Chopped raw vegetables with dip
- Chunks of avocado, cucumber or cooked sweet potato
- Breadsticks or pita chips with hummus
- Pretzels or popcorn
- Tortilla chips with bean dip
- Cheerios, granola, or other healthy cereals in a bag
- Toasted whole grain breads or crackers with fruit spread
- Graham crackers or gingersnaps dipped into applesauce
- Mini rice cakes with peanut butter
- Apple slices with hazelnut butter
- Fresh fruits
- Dried fruits, like raisins
- Frozen bananas blended with a little non-dairy milk
- Applesauce or fruit cups
- Nuts, especially when mixed with dried fruit
- Soy yogurt or ice cream
- Homemade muffins or cornbread
- Ramen soup with added vegetables
- Fresh soybeans
- Bite-sized tofu cubes
- Tofu hot dogs
You can also provide your children with the ingredients to make “mini recipes” that they can prepare themselves.
- Spread peanut butter on apple slices.
- Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll it in crushed cereal and freeze.
- Stuff a whole grain pita-pocket with Granny Smith apple slices and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Mix together cereal, dried fruits and nuts into a bag for a snack on the go.
- Fill a waffle cone with frozen yogurt and cut-up fruit.
- Spread frozen yogurt on graham crackers and add sliced bananas to make a tasty sandwich.
- Microwave a small baked potato. Sprinkle with reduced fat cheddar cheese and salsa.
- Put cubes of low fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.
- Top a banana with vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with dried cereal or granola.
- Layer vanilla yogurt with fresh fruit (mandarin oranges, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries). Top with dried cereal or granola.
- Crumble a graham cracker over low-fat chocolate pudding. Top with a few miniature marshmallows.
- Put low fat cheese on top of a tortilla. Microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to enjoy a quesadilla snack.
- Spread mustard on a flour tortilla. Top with a slice of turkey or ham and lettuce, then roll it up!