Healthy Snacks for School Age Children
School age children should be eating a variety of healthy foods from the five food groups. This includes grains, fruits, vegetables, milk and meats. Limiting unhealthy foods such as sugars is beneficial to a child's health for proper growth. Learning healthy eating habits in childhood can help to prevent obesity and the health risks that go along with being overweight.
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Sweet Snacks
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A small container of yogurt and low-fat chocolate milk are all good kid-friendly snacks. Cube cheese and make kabobs with fresh fruit like pineapple, strawberries or bananas.
Vegetables
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Baby carrots and broccoli served with a dip of ranch dressing makes a great after-school snack. Halved cherry tomatoes skewered with cucumbers and pepper slices is another healthy vegetable snack.
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Warm Snacks
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Take half of a whole grain English muffin and top it with a slice of cheddar cheese and melt in your toaster oven for a quick and easy snack. Make a mini pizza with half of a whole wheat bagel topped with a teaspoon of tomato sauce and cheese.
On the Go
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Portion grapes or sliced apples in small snack-size bags for grab and go snacks. Mini whole grain bagels with peanut butter can be made ahead of time and placed in a sandwich bag.
Warning
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Sugary snacks should be limited because they have little nutritional value. Read labels on packages of snacks geared towards kids like fruit snacks to determine nutritional benefits.
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