Healthy Snacks for Kids
You'd like your kids' snacks to be healthy and it's easier than you think to provide healthy snacks for kids! Snacks for kids don't have to be full of sugar, artificial colors and chemical ingredients so the key is to look for whole foods that they will love. Try our delicious recipes for fruity dessert bars and rice balls too.
Here are some kid's snacks your children are sure to love:
- Blueberries are full of antioxidants. Try them in muffins, yogurt or plain
- Yogurt - speaking of yogurt, one great snack for kids is yogurt. However, look for low sugar or mix in your own stevia or honey (only for children over age 2)
- Nuts and nut butters are full of calcium and protein (only if your child has no allergy to nuts or peanuts). Try apple slices with almond butter "dip"
- Sunflower seeds are packed with polyunsaturated fats, essential linoleic acid, and vitamin E, all of which are heart healthy. Sunflower seeds also contain zinc and potassium.
- Whole grain toast or bread - make sure whole wheat or some whole grain is the first ingredient listed on the label. Some "wheat breads" are really made of refined white flower with a little coloring thrown in.
- Scroll down for more great healthy kids snack ideas!
Recipe for fruity dessert bars - As healthy snacks for kids go, these can't be beat!..
2 cups apricots, chopped
2 cups dates, chopped
1 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple
3/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
1 cup smart balance or healthy butter substitute
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Mix the first 4 ingredients together and cook until mixture is smooth and thick, then add the vanilla. Create a nice crumb mixture with the remaining ingredients, in a medium mixing bowl. In a greased 9X12 pan, pour 1/2 of the crumb mixture and press it down firmly to create a crust. Pour the cooked fruit into the pan and top with the remaining crumb mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. These squares can be made with other fruits as well. Try diced apple as an alternative.
Besides being a delicious kids' snack, these delicious fruit squares are a great school lunch idea too!
Healthy rice balls make a great kids snack
Ingredients for healthy rice balls:
1/2 cup almond butter
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup dried fruit, such as raisins
2 cups rice breakfast cereal, preferably organic and low sugar
Mix all these ingredients together thoroughly in a mixing bowl.Create small balls from the mixture and place them on waxed paper and store in a sealed container to keep fresh.
Other healthy kids snacks:
- Pudding - choose low fat and no added sugar variations
- Whole wheat crackers with hummus dip
- Apple slices (toss fruit with a little lemon juice to keep it from getting brown)
- Grapes - easy to pack kid's snack idea
- Carrot sticks with hummus dip - try to stay away from fatty Ranch dips
- Create your own lunchable kids snack with cheese, turkey and whole wheat crackers.
- Make a quesadilla with low fat, whole wheat flour tortilla and grated cheese
- Popcorn - a very low fat kids' snack idea!
- Make your own popcicles with fruit juice. Popcycles from the supermarket are mostly colored sugar water.
- Offer your kids juice, milk or water instead of soda!
- Check out the health food aisles at your local supermarket - there are plenty of low sugar, whole grain options that make terrific snacks for kids.
- Cottage cheese with fruit - lots of calcium in the cottage cheese and vitamins in the fruit.
So remember, when your kids come home from school hungry or you're looking for a kids snack idea that's healthy, reach for our list, instead of soda and chips for your child. The health habits you teach them now will determine their future choices
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