Healthy Snack Ideas
Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to kids’ snacks? If you’re tired of the same old snacks in school lunches, or if you are just looking for new ideas to add excitement to snack time at home, here are some fresh and tasty between-meal bites to give your kids energy for growing and playing—and also help them get the three servings of dairy each day recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines.
Tortilla roll-ups are a wonderful snack choice because they are customizable and portable. Kids can add their favorite veggies to the reduced-fat cheese filling, and dipping them in zingy lime-cilantro low-fat or fat-free yogurt adds extra flavor and nutrition. The versatile filling can also be used to make quesadillas. Just place the cheese mixture between two tortillas (whatever style or flavor your children prefer) and cook in a pan or on a griddle for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Then cut the tortillas into wedges and let them cool slightly before serving with the yogurt dip.
Cheese and crackers pack an extra punch with the addition of a thinly sliced pear. Kids can top each cracker with a slice of low-fat cheese and a crisp, crunchy pear…and stack them as high as they like!
Making layered yogurt cups is also a great way to get kids involved in preparing their own snacks. Set out low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt, (to which you’ve added some grated apple for natural sweetness), cut up fresh fruit, slivered dried fruit, and your favorite muesli or granola. Let kids layer their favorite ingredients into a wide-mouthed glass. For a portable snack, make it in a sealable plastic bowl—just pop a lid on top and it’s good to go with your kids to the park or to school.
For a tasty twist on stuffed celery, squeeze a drizzle of honey into a cup of low-fat blue cheese crumbles and mix until creamy. Spread onto cut celery sticks then press celery cheese-side down onto a plate of roasted sunflower seeds. Once enough seeds are added on top, flip the celery back over and serve on a plate with a cold glass of low-fat or fat-free white or flavored milk.
For older kids, packaged cheese cubes are the perfect choice for fruity skewers. Place a Cheddar or Mozzarella cube onto a toothpick followed by a whole or halved grape. You can also add other colorful fruit, such as cantaloupe, watermelon or strawberries. Or experiment with savory flavors by topping cubes of Colby-Jack or Swiss with vegetables such as baby carrots or grape tomatoes.
On cold wintry days, a mug of vanilla honey chai is warming. Serve gingersnaps or cinnamon graham crackers alongside for dunking.
Cure after-school snack-time boredom with healthful snacks that are fun to make and eat. Be sure to enlist your child’s help where appropriate. Kids love to help add ingredients to the bowl, mix them up, and of course, lick the spoon! And when kids help to create the snack, they’re more likely to want to eat it.
Stefania Pomponi Butler a.k.a. "CityMama" is a blogger/writer/editor. She blogs about her parenting adventures on CityMama and about cooking on Family Food. Stefania is also a Founding Editor of Kimchi Mamas. She lives in the San Francisco area with her husband and two young daughters.