Snack time may be your child's favorite meal of the day. Your young child may be a picky lunch or dinner eater, but enjoy snack food. Snacks are necessary for active children, according to KidsHealth. Young children who continually walk, run, play games and attend school all day need to eat more frequently than adults. Help your child stay healthy by providing her with nutritious snacks.
Fresh Fruit and Cinnamon Yogurt Dip
Yogurt is cool and refreshing, fun to eat and contains protein. Small children may not enjoy eating meat, but do like yogurt. Give your child this visually appealing healthy snack to keep her full until the next meal. Gather one apple, one orange, 1/4 cup orange juice, 6 oz. vanilla yogurt and a 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon. Cut the apple and orange into slices and put on a plate. In a small bowl, combine the orange juice, yogurt and cinnamon. Let your child dip the fruit into the yogurt dip.
Veggie Bowl
Give your child an incentive to eat vegetables by telling him he can eat the bowl when he has finished the vegetables inside the bowl. Cut a washed red or green pepper in half to make the bowl. Slice the other half of the pepper into thin slices and put the slices in the pepper bowl. Fill the bowl with other cut-up vegetables such as carrots, celery, broccoli or cucumbers. Serve with a small amount of light salad dressing.
Bahama Bagels
Give your child a taste of the tropics when you serve her Bahama bagels. Buy whole wheat bagels for added fiber and low-fat or fat-free cream cheese to keep the snack healthy. Mix 1/3 cup cream cheese, 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts and 1 tbsp. crushed pineapple together in a bowl. Place the cut bagels on a plate and spread the cream cheese mixture on the bagel.
Trail Mix
Trail mix is an easily transportable snack that contains fruits, nuts and a treat. Nuts are a source of healthy fats and protein, dried fruits do not crush and most children enjoy chocolate candy every once in a while. Combine your choice of the following in a sealable bowl or plastic bag: Peanuts, almonds, chocolate candies, pretzels, raisins, banana chips, oat cereal, granola or coconut. Keep the container tightly sealed. Give your child a 1/4 cup measuring cup and show her how to measure the proper serving size.
Fruit and Cheese Sticks
Combine fruit and cheese together in fun shapes to encourage your child to eat nutritious foods. Cheese is an excellent source of protein and fruit provides your child with some of her daily vitamin requirements. Assemble several slices of honeydew or cantaloupe, 2 cheese slices, a handful of blueberries, strawberries and 4 wooden skewers. Cut the cheese and cantaloupe or honeydew slices into shapes with a small cookie cutter. Thread the fruits and cheese onto the skewers. Serve immediately or place in the refrigerator until snack time.
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