Snack time for children occurs between meals, and it should be healthy to keep the little body going until the next meal. A snack filled with protein and fiber provides natural energy for the child without the added sugar. Anything with dairy is also a great snack as it will help strengthen forming bones. Little hands also prefer little snacks that are easy to pick up and eat.
For ideas take a look at these 12 healthy snacks kids will love:
Ants on a log
Ants on a log are always fun for snack time. Kids will not even know they are healthy for them. To make the snack take clean celery sticks and cut them into three pieces. Next, smear peanut butter into the curved side of the celery. Last, randomly place raisins on the peanut butter to resemble the ants.
Yogurt pops
To make yogurt pops simply fill an ice cube tray with any flavored yogurt, cover with plastic wrap, and then insert a small popsicle stick. Let them freeze. When snack time comes uncover the tray and just pop one out for the little one to enjoy.
Fruit cups
Fruit cups are simple yet delicious. Fill small plastic drinking cups with any fruit that the child likes and serve. One kid favorite fruit cup includes layers of strawberries, kiwi slices, and then grapes on top. These are also easy to prepare ahead of time, cover them in plastic, and keep handy in the refrigerator.
A protein fruit smoothie
Is another kid's snack time favorite. To make the smoothie first put almond milk or even whole milk in the blender to cover the blade. Next, add in 1 diced banana, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and 4 ice cubes. Blend on high until ice is slushy. Serve in a glass with a straw. Chia seeds can be added for an extra kick of protein. 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa can add even more fun to the smoothie.
Granola
Is a kid favorite snack that can be prepared easily at home. For a large batch of granola combine 3 cups of rolled oats with ½ cup of honey, ¼ cup of coconut oil, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and mix it all together. If the child does not have a nut allergy then almonds or even ground up walnuts can be added to the oat mixture.
Next, spread the mixture in a large baking pan. Bake in an oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Stir the granola. Bake for 5 more minutes or just until the oats are golden in color. Take the pan from the oven and stir in 1 cup of raisins. Any other type of dried fruit like banana chips can also be added to the granola at this time. Let it cool. This can be stored in an airtight container for at least a week.
Dip is a fun kid snack
Slice carrots into thin round disc shapes for the chips. For the dip mix ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt with 1/2 tsp of ranch seasoning mix. If the child likes this snack then try adding more raw vegetables to it. Kids normally will eat cucumber and green peppers without a problem, but with the dip they usually will devour them.
Fruit rolls
Fruit rolls are fun, and easy to keep on hand in the refrigerator for when snack time comes around. To make them just take 1 cup of any type of fresh fruit that has been chopped up and mix it in the blender with ¼ cup of Greek yogurt. Spread this mixture onto a flour tortilla and roll it up. Fruits that work best for the roll ups include strawberries, bananas, raspberries, or even pumpkin. Melons or high water content fruits will be too runny to spread onto the tortilla.
Snack mix
Creating a snack mix for kids during snack time is easy, and just about anything healthy can be added into it. An easy snack mix consists of a protein enhanced dry cereal, small pretzel sticks, raisins, and dried fruits like apple chips and banana chips. Just mix up them up in a large bowl in equal proportions, and put into small baggies for the child to have at snack time.
Fruit and cheese
Make small kabobs with toothpicks. To make this snack cut a block of cheese into ½ inch squares and run a toothpick through it. Make sure that the cheese is on the bottom of the toothpick so that it will stand upright on a serving plate. Next, take a grape and run the same toothpick through it so the grape is on top of the cheese. It is an easy little snack that kids will love.
Fake fondue
Kids love to dip stuff and eat it. Fake fondue covers that desire. Chop up pieces of ham or chicken and put into the center of a serving plate. In a circle around the ham add chunks of cheese. In a circle around the cheese place a circle of tiny tomatoes. The fondue is 1 cup of Greek yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. Use toothpicks as the kabob. Now, let the kids put the items on their kabob and dip away. To avoid sharing a bowl that has been re-dipped in it might be wise to give the little one a small bowl filled with their very own dip.
Pizza bites
Most children love pizza. The fun bite sized pizzas are an even bigger hit with the smaller crowd. To make this snack just take pita chips and top with pizza sauce or even a mild salsa. Next, chicken that has been cooked and shredded can be added, or if no meat is preferred go straight to the mozzarella. Put these bite sized pizzas on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 5 minutes. Let them cool before serving.
Banana snacks
This is another easy, but very healthy snack for kids. Take a banana and cut it into 3 somewhat equal sized pieces after it has been peeled. Roll the banana in peanut butter or in honey if the child is allergic to nuts. Next, roll the sticky banana in crushed cereal or even in crushed graham cracker crumbs. A popsicle stick can be added to the snack by shoving it into the center of the banana. In the warm summer months these snacks can be frozen for a fun,
cool treat.
