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Healthy snacks may sound like boring snacks, but with a little creativity and imagination you can learn to prepare fun snack foods that your kids won't even realize are good for them.
The secret to preparing healthy snacks your kids will love is to start with basic foods like fruit, veggies and cheese and turn them into something that's sure to bring a smile to their faces.
Low-fat cheese makes a great protein snack that helps kids hang on until mealtime. Cut cheese into cubes or use cookie cutters to create fun shapes, cut sharp ends off of wooden skewers, and create cheese and fruit kabobs by alternating cheese pieces with small fruits like grapes, strawberries or cut up kiwi. Try dipping into yogurt or pudding to add a little more pizazz to this fun, healthy snack.
Replace fast food french fries with healthy baked sweet potato fries, and your kids won't miss a thing. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and baking helps retain nutritional content. Flavor them with a kid-friendly spice mixture, and serve with maple barbecue sauce for an added touch of sweetness.
For a quick and healthy snack your kids will slurp up on a warm day, blend frozen bananas, berries, orange juice and low-fat yogurt into a cooling berry banana smoothie that's sure to make milkshakes obsolete.
And speaking of frozen bananas, kiss sugary frozen treats goodbye and say and hello to a healthy snack of frozen banana popsicles. Push popsicle sticks into banana halves that have been cut widthwise, then let your kids apply peanut butter or hazelnut spread and roll them in chopped walnuts, granola, sunflower seeds or other healthy topping. The hardest part will be getting them to wait the three hours they take to freeze.
If your kids crave an old-fashioned snack of cookies and milk, show them you're happy to oblige, with fresh-baked healthier alternatives to processed store-bought baked goods. Low-fat oatmeal cookies are a great way to sneak in some extra nutritional value, by adding dried fruits and nuts. For a slightly sweeter treat, drop in semisweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips.
Yogurt and fruit parfaits are a great healthy alternative to ice cream sundae desserts, and are easy to make with nonfat yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit. Try vanilla yogurt with strawberries and blueberries for a special red, white and blue treat for a summer celebration.
Any snack tastes better when your child makes it himself, so be sure to let your kids pitch in and give you a hand in the kitchen. Cooking healthy snacks together will provide some great one-on-time with your child, and will help prepare them for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.
Email This
Healthy snacks may sound like boring snacks, but with a little creativity and imagination you can learn to prepare fun snack foods that your kids won't even realize are good for them.The secret to preparing healthy snacks your kids will love is to start with basic foods like fruit, veggies and cheese and turn them into something that's sure to bring a smile to their faces.
Low-fat cheese makes a great protein snack that helps kids hang on until mealtime. Cut cheese into cubes or use cookie cutters to create fun shapes, cut sharp ends off of wooden skewers, and create cheese and fruit kabobs by alternating cheese pieces with small fruits like grapes, strawberries or cut up kiwi. Try dipping into yogurt or pudding to add a little more pizazz to this fun, healthy snack.
Replace fast food french fries with healthy baked sweet potato fries, and your kids won't miss a thing. Sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and minerals, and baking helps retain nutritional content. Flavor them with a kid-friendly spice mixture, and serve with maple barbecue sauce for an added touch of sweetness.
For a quick and healthy snack your kids will slurp up on a warm day, blend frozen bananas, berries, orange juice and low-fat yogurt into a cooling berry banana smoothie that's sure to make milkshakes obsolete.
And speaking of frozen bananas, kiss sugary frozen treats goodbye and say and hello to a healthy snack of frozen banana popsicles. Push popsicle sticks into banana halves that have been cut widthwise, then let your kids apply peanut butter or hazelnut spread and roll them in chopped walnuts, granola, sunflower seeds or other healthy topping. The hardest part will be getting them to wait the three hours they take to freeze.
If your kids crave an old-fashioned snack of cookies and milk, show them you're happy to oblige, with fresh-baked healthier alternatives to processed store-bought baked goods. Low-fat oatmeal cookies are a great way to sneak in some extra nutritional value, by adding dried fruits and nuts. For a slightly sweeter treat, drop in semisweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips.
Yogurt and fruit parfaits are a great healthy alternative to ice cream sundae desserts, and are easy to make with nonfat yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit. Try vanilla yogurt with strawberries and blueberries for a special red, white and blue treat for a summer celebration.
Any snack tastes better when your child makes it himself, so be sure to let your kids pitch in and give you a hand in the kitchen. Cooking healthy snacks together will provide some great one-on-time with your child, and will help prepare them for a lifetime of healthy eating habits.