A healthy snack in the middle of the morning and afternoon will keep kids healthy and energized between meals, preventing irritability, poor concentration and headaches, says Harvard's Prevention Research Center on Nutrition and Physical Activity. Toss out the sugary, salty snacks and present your child with a variety of healthy choices to keep snack time interesting and nutritious.
Cheese
Incorporate protein-rich cheddar, Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese into healthy snacks. Cut cheese into cubes and poke a salt-free pretzel stick into the cube. Cut slices of cheese and cut them into shapes with small cookie cutters. Place the cheese shapes on a skewer with chunks of your child's favorite fruits and vegetables. Sprinkle grated cheese over a whole wheat or corn tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half, warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds, then cut the tortilla into wedges.
Peanut Butter
Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, using rice cakes or toasted waffles. Alternatively, make a sandwich from peanut butter and whole wheat bread, and then cut the sandwich into shapes with a cookie cutter. Spread peanut butter on a celery stick and top the peanut butter with raisins, or coat an apple slice with a thin layer of peanut butter.
Yogurt
Stir crunchy granola or your child's favorite healthy breakfast cereal into a cup of plain or flavored yogurt. Try mixing vanilla flavored cereal into vanilla yogurt. Blend fresh strawberries or grapes and 1 tsp. of honey into plain yogurt. Spread yogurt between two graham crackers and freeze for an ice-cream sandwich substitute.
Fruit
Place layers of yogurt and fruit in a parfait glass and top the parfait with crunchy granola. Cut a fresh or canned pear in half and fill the pear with cottage cheese. Toss a handful of fresh or frozen fruit in the blender to make a healthy, delicious smoothie. Blend in half a banana, yogurt and orange juice.
Member Comments