Healthy snacks keep away the munchies for kids between meals. With most families balancing a busy schedule, convenience is a major factor. Packaged snacks often lack nutritional value despite their convenience. Finding snacks that appeal to kids without filling them with excessive fat and calories becomes a challenge. Variety in the snack routine adds to the appeal.
Baked Apples
If your child is tired of plain apples, change them up by baking them. Set your oven to 350 degrees to preheat while you prepare your apples. Core the apples to remove the seeds before baking. "Eating Well" magazine recommends mixing together honey, cinnamon, nuts and dried fruit to place in the middle of the cored apple. Pour in enough apple juice or apple cider to cover the bottom of the baking pan. Bake the apples for about 45 minutes to make the apples tender. Yogurt or low-fat ice cream pairs well with the baked apples.
Whole-Wheat Pancake Rolls
Pancakes typically appear on the breakfast table, but a whole-wheat pancake or crepe also fits as a snack. Prepare extra pancakes the next time you serve them in the morning to make a quick snack. The kids spread various healthy toppings on the pancakes and roll them up for a less messy snack. Ideas for spreads include yogurt, low-fat cream cheese, jam, honey, nut butters and applesauce. Add more flavor with toppings like nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit and coconut.
Biscuit Shapes
Refrigerator biscuit dough makes this snack quick to prepare. Break off a chunk of the dough for each child and work it to make it more pliable. The kids roll the dough into various shapes to create their own custom biscuit snacks. Roll the dough in sesame seeds for extra crunch. Raisins, dried cranberries and similar dried fruits work well to create faces or other details on the biscuit creations. Place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Bake them at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until they are light brown.
Toast Canvas
Toast is easy enough for kids to prepare themselves. Instead of just spreading butter on the toast, offer the kids a variety of toppings so they can create a work of art. Spread peanut butter or jam on the toast first to serve as the glue. Food items like nuts, fruit and cereal work well as the decorations. The kids arrange the pieces to make their pictures before eating the toast.
Member Comments