Healthy Snacks for Kids

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Snacks are a big part of our kids’ diets.  According to the Disney FamilyFun Magazine, kids get one-fourth of their calories each day from snacks. And snacking smart can provide a number of benefits. Because young kids can’t eat a lot at one time, snacks help to sustain them between meals. As kids grow, they need more nutrients, and snacking helps them get what they need.

Because snacks are essentially a kid’s fourth meal, parents need to ensure that kids are making healthy choices at snack time.  Making healthy snacks accessible and delicious helps kids snack well, keeping their energy levels high and their Body Mass Indexes (BMIs) low!

Try these tips and suggestions for healthy snacking from the American Dietetic Association and Parents, Parenting, and Disney FamilyFun magazines.  Get kids involved in the planning and preparation, and keep fruits, vegetables, and other healthy ingredients on hand. These snacks are easy to grab after school or practice, and many don’t even require cooking.

Grab-and-go options have health benefits:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables have vitamins and antioxidants.
• Cheese has calcium.
• Hard-boiled eggs are handy for a quick protein kick.
• Trail mix – you can make your own with whole-grain cereal or granola, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit – has healthy carbs and fats.

Simple snacks satisfy:

• Whole grain cereal with low- or no-fat milk is great for a snack as well as breakfast.
• Low-fat yogurt can be topped with berries or granola.
• Smoothies are quick and healthy and a great way to use up fruit that’s ripe.  Or use frozen berries and other fruit and know that you’ll always have what you need on hand.  Make with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, and wheat germ or flax seed.
• Edamame (soybean pods) are fun to eat. Let kids pop out the beans.
• A banana with a few spoonfuls of low-fat strawberry yogurt and a handful of chopped nuts makes a healthy “banana split.”
• Fruit and cheese kabobs are easy to make. Serve them with yogurt dip
• Nuts and nut butters contain protein, but make sure to get ones without added sugar.  Go beyond peanut butter and try almond butter – full of healthy fats – or cashew, sunflower seed, or soy nut butter for those with nut allergies.  Or for a tasty fall option, try pumpkin butter or homemade pumpkin spread (see recipe below) – loaded with vitamin A – on apples or on whole grain toast, English muffins, crackers, even waffles.  Try a peanut butter and banana sandwich to give your kids some protein, whole grain, and fruit all in one!

Making food fun helps younger kids make healthy choices:

• Ants on a log – celery with peanut butter and raisins is a child favorite.
• Kids love to dip things, and a healthy dip is a great way to get kids to eat their vegetables.  Try hummus, salsa, or dips made with Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream.  Or try spicy peanut sauce for dipping carrots and chunks of chicken.
• Roll turkey and cheese in a whole grain tortilla and slice to make “sushi.”
• Make flowers, faces, or other shapes out of fruit and vegetable slices.
• Serve yogurt and fruit layered in parfait glasses or try crazy straws in smoothies.
• Use cookie cutters to cut cheese or sandwiches into fun shapes.
• Sneak fruits or vegetables into baked goods like zucchini bread, banana bread, or muffins made with carrots or sweet potatoes.

Make smaller versions of the things your kids enjoy at dinner time:

• Mini burritos: Top a small whole-grain tortilla with fat-free refried beans and a little cheddar cheese (or reduced-fat cheddar).  Microwave it until warm, then top with shredded lettuce and salsa or low-fat ranch dip.
• Snack-size quesadillas: Top a whole-grain tortilla with vegetables and cheese. Fold in half.  Microwave until the cheese is melted.  Cut and serve with salsa for dipping.
• Personal pizzas: Spread tomato sauce on half of a whole-grain pita.  Top with your favorite vegetables and some part-skim mozzarella.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
• Soup snack: A cup of soup and a handful of whole-grain crackers are a warm snack on a cold afternoon.

When your kids are snacking, remember to keep the drinks healthy, too.  Skip the soda, go easy on the fruit juice, and give them lots of water and low- or no-fat milk.

The importance of healthy eating at meals and snack time

According to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, childhood obesity rates have doubled in the past 20 years.  Overweight kids are more likely to develop adult-type health problems such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The obesity epidemic means that today’s kids could be the first generation with a shorter life expectancy than their parents. 

The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends that most snacks served to children be fruits and vegetables, since most kids don’t get the recommended five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables each day – that’s roughly a minimum of 2½ cups of cooked or 4 cups of raw produce. Fruits and vegetables contain fiber and important nutrients such as vitamins A and C, and they lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, and high blood pressure.

Recipes:

Pumpkin Dip

You can adjust the amount of sugar in this recipe from A Veggie Venture.com to suit your kids’ tastes.

Ingredients:
16 ounces canned 100% pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
8 ounces Neufchatel or reduced-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ to ½ cup powdered sugar (or other sweetener, such as sorghum or maple syrup)

In a food processor, mix the pumpkin, cream cheese and pumpkin pie spice until smooth. Add sugar (or sweetener) to taste until desired sweetness is reached.  Serve with apple or pear slices, whole grain graham crackers, or ginger snaps.

Balls of Energy

These nutritious bites from the Disney FamilyFun Magazine are easy to make.  They are a great snack to take on the go -- to sports practice or on a hike.

Ingredients:
1 small banana
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
Finely chopped peanuts, mini-chocolate chips, or shredded coconut for coating

In a medium bowl, mash together the banana and the peanut butter. Stir in the wheat germ. Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, then roll the balls in one, or a mix, of the coatings. Chill until firm. Makes 14 balls.

For a peanut-free version, substitute sunflower-seed or soy-nut butter for the peanut butter, and omit the peanuts and chocolate chips (which can contain traces of peanut).

Sticks and Stones Snack Mix

From the Disney FamilyFun Magazine.  Each ½ cup serving of this fun snack mix, which really looks like sticks and stones, has 3 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and 26% of the recommended daily intake of iron.

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup frozen orange or apple juice concentrate
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups oatmeal cereal squares (or other square cereal)
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 1/2 cups whole almonds
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Heat the oven to 300º. Place the butter, juice concentrate, and sugar in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 45 seconds to melt the butter. Stir in the cinnamon.

Spread the oatmeal squares, pretzels, and almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toss the pieces with the melted-butter mixture to coat. Bake the mix, stirring the pieces every 10 minutes, until the mixture is dry to the touch and the nuts are lightly toasted, about 30 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven, then stir in the dried fruit. Let the mix cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Makes about 7 cups.

Tropical Treasure Smoothie

From the Healthy Kids Healthy World website.  You can change it up by combining different fruits, vegetables, or liquids.

Ingredients:
1 cup pineapple
1 cup mango
1 cup cantaloupe
1 cup baby spinach (start out with a few leaves to get your kids used to it)
1 cup coconut water (add more based on desired texture)
1 cup ice

Cut up fruit.  Place fruit and spinach in blender.  Add coconut water and ice.  Blend until smooth.  Serves 4.

Peanut Butter-Raspberry Pops

This frozen treat from Parents magazine, contains protein, calcium, and vitamin C.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup reduced-fat milk
2 - 4 tablespoons honey, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 cups raspberry juice or raspberry juice blend
1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)

1. Combine peanut butter, yogurt, milk, 2 tablespoons honey, and vanilla in a food processor or blender until smooth.
2. Pour peanut-butter mixture into eight 6- to 7-ounce paper cups or pop molds until they’re one-third full. Cover and freeze for 1 hour. Cover and chill remaining peanut-butter mixture until needed.
3. Stir together raspberries and juice, divide among the cups or molds, and insert sticks. Cover and freeze for an hour. Then fill with remaining peanut-butter mixture and freeze for at least 8 hours, or until firm.
4. Let stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before unmolding. Spoon honey around the rims and sprinkle on sesame seeds.