Healthy Snacks for Kids - Quick and Easy

Snacks are a great way to satisfy kid’s hunger between meals, and also helps prevent them from overeating during meals. Snacks are also a great way to help kids get many of the important nutrients they need while growing, such as calcium and vitamin D for strong bones, protein for muscle growth, and fiber for a healthy digestive system!

Here are some ideas for healthy snacks for kids, many of which your kids can make themselves (with parental supervision):

• Classic ants on a log: Spread one tablespoon of peanut butter on celery sticks to make the “log”, and top with two tablespoons of raisins to make the “ants”.
• English muffin pizza: Toast a whole wheat English muffin and spread with warm tomato sauce. Top with ¼ cup low-fat mozzarella cheese and top with any vegetables you’d like such as broccoli, tomato slices, onion slices, pepper rings, or black olives
• Make-your-own trail mix: In a bowl, mix one cup of cheerios, half an ounce of pretzels, one tablespoon of dried cranberries, one tablespoon peanuts, and one tablespoon of golden raisins.
• Mini toaster waffles with applesauce and cinnamon: Toast up one serving of whole-wheat mini waffles and dip in one cup of applesauce. Top with cinnamon.
• Fruit and peanut butter: Use any fruit you’d like such as a banana, an apple, or a pear, and spread with one tablespoon of peanut butter.
• Veggie sticks and hummus: Children may not be too fond of hummus when they first see, but have them try it with vegetable sticks such as carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, or cherry tomatoes. They may be surprised by how much they like it!
• 3 cups air-popped popcorn and a medium orange
• Animal crackers and yogurt: ½ cup low or non-fat yogurt and one serving of animal crackers  
• Apple and string cheese
• Veggie sticks and a hard boiled egg
• Rice cakes with cheese and corn salsa: Sprinkle one tablespoon of low-fat mozzarella cheese on each rice cake and heat in microwave until cheese is melted to desired consistency. Top each rice cake with corn salsa.
• Celery boats with tuna fish: Mix 3 oz. of tuna with plain, non-fat Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Spread on celery sticks.
• Fresh fruit and yogurt cones: Fill a waffle cone with non-fat or low-fat yogurt, and top with chopped fresh fruit.
• Crackers with whipped cream cheese and sliced strawberries: Top one serving of whole wheat crackers with whipped cream cheese and sliced strawberries
• Cereal and yogurt: Mix ½ cup whole grain cereal with ½ cup low or non-fat yogurt.
• Tomato soup and Goldfish: While tomato soup is often thought of as a meal, one cup is only about 75 calories! For a healthy snack your child will love, heat up one cup of tomato soup and top with ½ serving of Goldfish cheddar whole grain pieces.
• Cottage cheese and pineapple: Mix ½ cup cottage cheese with ½ cup canned pineapple in 100% juice.
• Fruit and yogurt parfait: Layer ½ cup low-fat or non-fat yogurt, ½ cup or one whole piece sliced fruit, and a few sprinkles of a whole grain cereal such as Cheerios.
• Turkey roll-ups with cream cheese and celery: Spread two tablespoons of cream cheese on 2 oz. of turkey, add in celery sticks, and roll it all up!
• Whole-wheat crackers with ricotta cheese and cucumbers: Your child is sure to feel like a grown-up with this snack! Spread ricotta cheese onto one serving of whole-wheat crackers, and top each cracker with cucumber slices.

Make a list of your child's favorite healthy snacks and keep those on hand for easy and quick grab and go snacks! Happy Snacking.