Children have high energy requirements and as such, they need snacks in between meals to keep up with these requirements. Snacks play a big role in your kid’s day seeing as they have a significant contribution to your child’s diet. For this reason, you need to ensure your child is getting healthy foods which can enhance their health for the better, keep their weight at a healthy point and foods which will not spoil their next meal.
Use snack time to their advantage to incorporate nutrients into their diet. Here are some nutritious snacks you can prepare for your kids as they prepare to embark on their day, be it for school, a day playing in the park or when traveling.
Granola Bars
They are high in fiber, low in sugar content and a great way to incorporate nutrients into your child’s diet, not to mention they are much easier to munch on compared to actual granola.
– Be creative with granola bars by crumbling them on top of yoghurt for a crunchy but smooth snack
– Make a salty and sweet trail mix using a combination of 2 crumbled granola bars, a tablespoon of raisins and about 1/3 cup of tiny pretzels, toss the mixture and store it in a resealable plastic bag for convenience.
Fresh fruit
Fruit cannot miss on this list seeing as it is a healthy source of vitamins and fiber.
– Peel some fruit such as pears or apples and dice it up into bite size cubes and serve it together with cubes and wedges of your child’s favorite cheese and whole pita. This snack can be easily stored in an airtight container.
– Cut a banana into slices, dip the slices into your child’s favorite flavor yogurt, roll the slices in crushed graham crackers, pack them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer until when your child will be ready to go on the move.
Nut Butter
These are another great addition to your child’s snack routine because they are a tasty source of protein for kids.
– You can use any nut butter to make Ants on a Log which is a classic snack for children. Cut celery into small sticks, this will make up the log, spread almond butter the indentations and put dried cranberries or raisins on top of the butter to look like ants then store them in an airtight container.
– Add a twist to the normal sandwich formula by spreading almond butter (or any other nut butter) on two whole-grain slices of bread, put some banana slices on top and drizzle honey on them. Cut the sandwiches into halves and store them in sealable plastic bags.
Dry Cereal
Use breakfast cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar to make snacks.
– O-cereal necklaces can be made by stringing o-shaped cereal onto a 12-18 inch piece of yarn length may vary, tie the ends of the string to make a cereal necklace. This is a fun snack that the kids will enjoy making and eating.
– Make a salty and sweet trail mix using cereal, chopped walnuts and yogurt-covered raisins; mix and store in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container