Make Healthy Snacks Fun

Provided by Huggies Baby Network

Snack time needn't mean stress time. In fact, studies show that many toddlers and young children consume 20 to 25 percent of their calories from snacks. This means those mid-morning or mid-afternoon munchies present a great opportunity to improve your children's diets by offering them such healthy fare as fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein, calcium and healthy fats.

There's one caveat: providing healthy snacks usually means planning ahead. That means shopping for healthy ingredients and having a ready supply of containers for packing and transporting snack-size servings. Yes, it's sometimes easier to pull through the drive-in eatery and grab a donut or burger for your child to eat on the run, but in the end this approach can backfire in several ways, according to nutrition and child experts. For one, this type of processed food may be short on nutrients and long on added fat, sugar, or salt. Second, making a habit of eating on the fly affects your wallet. And finally, it may prevent kids from learning to slow down and savor their food.

It's far better to take the time to buy healthy ingredients and pack them yourself, say nutritionists such as Janice Bissex, MS, RD and author of The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers: Improving the Way Your Family Eats, One Meal at a Time.

So what should you pack? Cut-up or finger-food sized portions of fruit and vegetables are always a great idea, including cucumber slices, red pepper strips, apple or pear chunks, or cherry tomatoes. To make these items fun for kids, pack a small container for dipping — whether it's hummus, salsa, black-bean dip, ranch dressing (made with healthy fats), or even a few melted chocolate chips in a bowl.

Kids love to dip, says Bissex. "My kids will eat an entire pint of fresh strawberries or raspberries if I let them dip it in a tiny amount of chocolate." If you are feeding young kids, be sure to cut up their food into safe size portions; grapes, for instance, should be cut in half. You can also use whole-wheat pitas, pretzels, black bean tortilla chips, or other whole-grain crackers for dipping, depending on the age of your children. Smoothies are another fun and easy way to get your children to eat fruit, yogurt, or other healthy ingredients. Depending on their ages, your children may also be able to help by pushing the blender button. Try mixing fresh berries, yogurt, 100-percent fruit juice and a little milk. Just blend and drink up!

Speaking of yogurt, that's another good snack that's rich in calcium and protein! The portable, tube-shaped containers of yogurt, which can be served cold or frozen, make a great snack for kids. Cheese sticks are also a good source of calcium and protein.

One favorite healthy snack among kids and adults is trail mix. You can make your own using nuts, dried fruit, high-fiber cereal, and even a few small candies, such as M&Ms. Be sure to consult your pediatrician before serving your child nuts for the first time in order to understand nut allergies. Hikers of all ages like trail mix because it's chock full of healthy fats, protein and fiber — all of which will keep your children going whether they're running after a ball or sledding in the front yard.

Other good ideas for snacks include whole-wheat bagels; peanut butter spread on fruit, such as apples or pears; fruit skewers made with cut-up pieces of fresh fruit; dehydrated fruit in individual containers; or kid-sized containers of applesauce.

And last but not least, be sure to pack your kids plenty of healthy beverages such as milk, water, 100-percent juice, or a mix of sparkling water and juice. Bissex likes to mix sparkling water with a small amount of 100-percent fruit juice for flavor; other experienced moms make "juice and bubbles" by mixing seltzer with their favorite flavor of juice.