Snacking between meals helps a child meet his nutritional requirements while keeping his energy levels up. The small size of a child's stomach limits the amount of food he can eat at meal time. Eating smaller, nutritious snacks between meals better matches a child's dietary needs than three large meals without snacks, according to Scholastic.
Tortilla Wrap Bites
A whole wheat tortilla creates the base of a simple snack that kids can help make themselves. The tortilla is topped with your child's choice of spreads to hold the wraps together. Ideas include hummus, cream cheese, mayonnaise and mustard.
Add healthy toppings, such as turkey, ham, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. Roll the tortilla tightly from one side to the other. Cut the tortilla tube into bite-sized slices for munching.
Muffins
Homemade muffins work well for an in-between meal snack when healthy ingredients are added. Using whole wheat flour increases the nutritional value of any muffin recipe. Add shredded carrots or zucchini for a serving of vegetables that your child won't likely notice. Other healthy ingredient ideas include raisins, apples, nuts, blueberries and other fruit. For younger kids, try using miniature muffin pans to create smaller muffins.
Snack Mix
A snack mix works well for a snack because you can customize it to fit your child's tastes and the foods you have on hand. Any dry foods that you have around the house can go into the snack mix. Common ingredients include cereal, dried fruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips and pretzels. Mix up a large batch of snack mix to keep on hand or create individual snack mix servings.
Smoothies
Smoothies offer another customized snacking option to keep your child satisfied between meals. A yogurt base is a common option. Either plain or flavored yogurt works depending on your child's preferences.
Add in frozen fruit, such as berries and bananas, and puree in a blender. Sweeten the smoothie with honey, agave syrup or fruit juice for a healthy smoothie. Adding granola to the yogurt smoothie adds some crunch to the snack.
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