How to Prepare Healthy Everyday Snacks for Your Children

Since kids have little tummies and grow so fast, they need snacks. Here are a few easy snack ideas.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Blenders
• Paring Knives
• Toothpicks
• Toothpicks

1. Make Ants on a Log. Spread peanut or almond butter onto celery, then top with raisins or sunflower seeds.

2. Dice sweet cantaloupe and let kids have fun eating the chunks with toothpicks.

3. Pair low-fat cheddar cheese with apple or pear slices.

4. Whip up a smoothie in the blender. Combine soft tofu, a frozen banana and some frozen strawberries.

5. Slice hard-boiled eggs into wedges and serve them with orange slices.

6. Top popcorn with grated Parmesan cheese for a little fiber and calcium.

7. Heat up low-sodium minestrone soup (homemade or canned). Serve with whole-grain crackers.

8. Don't forget mundane but nutritious snacks like whole-grain cereal with milk, cold pizza or a half a sandwich.

Tips & Warnings

• Offer snacks at fairly regular times each day. Avoid giving random food handouts.
• Healthy everyday snacks should add vitamins, minerals and fiber to a child's diet. The most nutritious snacks are mini-meals.
• Stock the fixings for healthy snacks in your cupboards at all times.
• Avoid giving nuts, nut butters and popcorn to children under age 4, as these foods can be choking hazards.

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on 6/30/2006 Giving them nachos and cheese is a good snack for kids, too. They love them and it provides them with calcium (if you give them the right cheeses). A way to make homemade nachos is to take tortilla chips, and any kind of shredded cheese mixed with canola oil. Mix the oil and cheese and heat it up in the microwave until it's melted and stir it up and serve with the chips. It's not the healthiest thing to eat, but it satisfies hunger issues when on the go.