Healthy snack ideas

[IsabelC]

I'm planning to get the kitchen set up so that there are nutritious things that the kids can help themselves to. First thing is to make sure the fruit platter is kept well stocked. Then I'm going to bake things maybe once a week - granola, wholemeal fruit/vegetable slices, etc. What else can I make?? They won't eat julienned raw veg with dips (they just get one piece of veg and use it as a spoon)

[woolybear]

oat bars

yogurt parfaits

healthy muffins

cheese cubes

 

I would love to hear more too.:bigear: We are definitely in need of this as well.

[Jen in PA]

Hummus with whole grain crackers

cottage cheese with fresh fruit

frozen berries (my kids eat them still frozen)

hard boiled eggs

pretzels and peanut butter

[yellowperch]

Yoghurt and fruit--not exciting but it's almost enough. Add some popcorn and a batch of cookies or muffings here and there and you are good.

 

Also, dried fruit with nuts and fresh apples.

 

I do put out combinations of raw baby carrots, sliced red peppers, cukes, celery, grape tomatoes, blanched green beans, and blanched brocolli almost everyday. Not everyone likes everything, but they all like some things and looove one or two things. We call it veggie party or kid salad. Usually they devour it mid-afternoon. I don't ask if they want it. I just put it out while they are doing quiet reading, etc. If they don't eat it, I stop them form foraging until it's gone, as in "you are welcome to get whatever you like out of the kitchen when the veggie party is gone." When it's gone they can have fruit or snack bar or pretzels or yoghut or (my oldest's favorite) the dreaded juice (appetite killer which is not great because I have skinny kids) Veggie party does sometimes make a second showing at dinner. On a movie night, it appears before the popcorn.

 

I like the frozen berry idea.

I would do just about anything if my children would eat hard boiled eggs (yellow part included) as a snack. I've heard tell of this, and witnessed it once, but I've only dreamed of it myself.

Edited December 6, 2010 by yellowperch

[ChristusG]

Here's what I try to keep on hand....

 

organic yogurt bars (Barbara's)

organic granola bars (Cascadian Farms)

organic fruit (usually grapes, apples, bananas, strawberries, and watermelon)

organic apple cinnamon mini muffins that I bake

squirrel wedges (grind up organic nuts of all kinds in the blender...mix with natural peanut butter, Nutella, honey, and cinnamon until it forms a chunky paste....spread between two whole wheat tortilla shells and slice like a pizza)

whole wheat dinner rolls

organic yogurt

strawberry applesauce

organic cheddar bunnies (like goldfish)

organic graham sticks or cinnamon graham crackers

organic butter crackers

 

I'm always looking for more healthy snacks so I will be watching this thread.

[IsabelC]

Eggs are a good idea I hadn't thought of - and we have chooks so we've always got plenty.

 

Bought muesli bars and so on I can't afford - my eldest would eat a packet of six in one day and they're not cheap - but I'm looking out for homemade recipes

 

Re frozen fruit, I have one child who loves frozen stuff - she'll eat a whole bowlful of frozen peas straight from the freezer - UGH

 

They all eat yoghurt but it's so messy, and the 2yo gets it everywhere, so maybe cottage cheese would be safer lol

 

Maybe I'll give the veggie party a try over the down under summer. It might be just a matter of persevering for longer. (I recently found out that it's possible for most people, including adult, to teach themselves to like foods just by repeated tasting. I have actually just learned to like olives in my mid 30s.)

[missmoe]

I read somewhere that it actually takes 10 taste for children to learn to like a food.

[UK_Army]

Hello! Here's what i can recommend for your kids:

 

# Strawberry Sandwich

# Apple Chips

# Peanut Butter-Banana-Apple Bites

# Chocolate Matchsticks

# Mini Cranberry Muffins

 

Hope this helps!

[NanceXToo]

A cute healthy snack- cut up a banana into thick chunks and stick the chunks together with peanut butter to make it look like a caterpillar shape. Give it raisin eyes and pretzel stick antennae. :)

 

My kids love yogurt, cheese, frozen grapes, granola bars, all kinds of fruit, applesauce, smoothies, hardboiled eggs, (and they also like using veggie sticks as a 'spoon' haha).

[MaMa2005]

DS new snack is homemade trail mix. I mix Cheerios, mini M&Ms, peanuts, sunflower seeds and flaxseed. DS doesn't do fruit or there would be raisins in it, too. He gets 1/2 cup of this as his snack for the day. Surprisingly, he usually eats half of his serving and saves the other for later in the day. He says it fills him up (and my DS loves to eat!)

[Laura Corin]

Whole grain low salt rice cakes?

 

Laura

[Isabella]

Vitality Truffles..

 

You need:

 

equal amounts of: date, rolled oats, raisins, dried apricots (soaked to soften), sesame seeds, any type of nut (or other seed if you need nut free). And any other dried fruit you may have or like (prunes are nice).

 

Process seeds first, then add the nuts, then fruit till you have a heap of gooey stuff. (if it's too stiff, you can add a tablespoon of freshly squeezed orange juice)

 

Shape into little balls (the kids love to do this - it's messy!) and roll in sesame seeds or dessicated coconut.

 

These are so yummy, but so they don't all go at once, it's a good idea to serve just a few per kid with something else for a snack.

 

They store really well in a sealed bag in the freezer.

 

HTH.