Healthy Snacking
Snacks are an important part of your child’s diet throughout the
day, but we can sometimes forget that they are a great opportunity to
offer healthy foods. Instead we defer to our kid’s favorite foods,
things that are crunchy, salty, sweet and often pre-packaged because they
are easy and quick to grab. Use snacks as an opportunity to pair your
child’s favorite flavors and textures with foods packed with healthy
nutrients like fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fiber which is found mostly
in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help keep your kids feeling
full and satisfied until meal time. When planning snacks, be sure to include
more than one food group to achieve a more nutritious and balanced bite.
Here are some quick snack ideas that we love:
- Blueberry Breakfast Bake
- Blue & Green Breakfast Smoothie
- Tropical Trail Mix – a KidsFit favorite!
- Snack Kebabs: Place low-fat cheese cubes and grapes on pretzel sticks
- Apple Slices: Serve sliced apples with peanut butter or sunflower butter for dipping
- Toasted Waffle: Toast a whole grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and berries
- Quick Smoothie: Add low-fat milk, frozen strawberries or blueberries, and half a banana to a blender and blend until smooth
- English Muffin Pizza: Toast a whole grain English muffin and top with tomato sauce, low-fat mozzarella cheese and chopped veggies like broccoli, spinach or peppers
- Tortilla Roll-Ups: Spread hummus on a whole wheat tortilla and add sliced turkey and lettuce or spinach. Roll up, slice and serve.
- Celery Sticks: Spread peanut butter or sunflower butter on celery sticks and top with raisins
