Healthy and Tasty Snacks for Kids
Kids are fidgety and finicky. Try hard and still, you will feel at loss to understand what they actually love for snacks. Even if you pack nutrition-packed food in their lunch box, you should have a good stock of tasty snacks for them to relish.
Kids give a damn to healthy foods; they only care about yummy spreads to snack on. So, it’s a challenge for you to make a balance between health and taste. As a parent, it’s your responsibility to give a ‘Healthy’ punch to their Tasty snacks so that they get the necessary nutrients for their physical growth and mental development.
Smoothies
Smoothies make the perfect choice to add to your kids’ snack spread, especially in summer or after they come back from a sweaty outdoor play session. For you, it’s a good idea to clean out your refrigerator without wasting anything. Don’t add sugar; use milk or any unsweetened non-dairy milk for a creamy texture.
Add yogurt, fruits, nuts and dollops of healthy fats (for example, nut butter, chia seeds or flax). You can pump up the power quotient by adding whole grains. For crunchy bites, smoothies with chocolate toppings are a teasing and tasty idea. Smoothies offer a nutrition-filled, power-packed drink that hydrates kids and also gives them an energetic boost.
Whole-Grain Cereal
Cereal is not only for breakfast. Given the healthy benefits they offer, they should be made a part of your kids’ regular snack diet. Cereals provide complex carbohydrates that are energy booster for both body and brain. For your kids, choose nutrient packed healthy breakfast cereals that contain fibre, protein and are rich in antioxidants.
Most kids don’t love cereals. So, try to whip up fun with cereals and present the snacks in style. Mix cereals into homemade snacks for kids (such as, granola bars). You can also sprinkle it on top of smoothies; they won’t turn nose up, it’s a promise!
Cheese
Both cheese cubes and string cheese are great protein-filled finger foods for kids and adults alike. Cheese has a high content of calcium and protein. Protein and calcium-rich foods are a necessity for muscle strength and bone growth in kids. Go with cheeses that are pasteurized (not raw) and low in sodium for babies and kids. They will enjoy it.
Some low sodium cheese includes goat cheese, mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, paneer, ricotta, and swiss cheese.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Protein-stuffed, low-calorie snacks are good for everyone. Eggs are a good source of protein. They are also rich in choline that helps in brain development. It takes just a few minutes to boil eggs, Sprinkle salt and pepper over it. Most kids love eggs, so they will never say ‘NO’.
Nut Butter
There is a variety of nut butter such as, peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower butter etc. They are a good source of healthy fats. Plaster nut butter, whichever they love most, on apple slices or toasted breads, add it to smoothie or blend it into Greek yogurt for a delicious deep.
Pro Tip: There are several yummy and healthy recipes that you can try for your kids’ snacks. Serve these and see how fast they eat everything with great satisfaction. Your efforts will pay!
References
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25353/chapter/13#231/