Healthy Snacks For Kids & Parents

Parents who model healthy eating can help their children learn positive eating behaviors. Snack time can be a fun, pressure-free way to share healthy foods. Consider snacks as micro-meals that feature healthy whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean protein, fruits and vegetables and unsaturated fats.

Wraps

Your kids can help you make wraps for a tasty snack. Use a whole wheat tortilla, spread it with peanut butter and top with a whole, small banana. Roll up the wrap and secure in several places with toothpicks. Slice between the toothpicks for bite-sized servings. This wrap provides a serving of fruit, fiber from the whole grains and protein and heart-healthy fats from the peanut butter. Alternatively, make ham and cheese bites with whole grain bread, low-sodium ham and low-fat string cheese. Remove the crust from the bread and flatten with a rolling pin. Top with a slice of ham and the string cheese. Roll up, secure in four places with toothpicks and slice. Serve with yellow mustard for dipping. This snack provides protein, calcium and whole grains.

Cereal

Cereal, especially vitamin and mineral fortified versions with more than 5 g of fiber and less than 5 g of sugar, make a healthy snack for adults and kids. Instead of having just a bowl of cereal with milk, create parfaits with your child. Layer cereal, such as "O"-shaped oat cereal, with yogurt and fresh fruit. Top with a fresh strawberry or cherry.

Smoothies

Keep frozen bananas, peaches and berries on hand so you and your child can whip up a fruit smoothie any time. Homemade smoothies featuring fruit, milk and yogurt resemble a milkshake, but provide calcium, natural sugars, vitamins A and C and fiber, unlike the ice cream-based versions. For a family-friendly version, put one frozen banana, 1 cup strawberries and 1 cup milk -- use cow, soy or almond -- in the blender. Mix until you reach the desired texture -- add a small amount of honey if you desire a sweeter drink. Other variations include peaches and raspberries with orange juice or blueberries, bananas and plain yogurt.

Pizza

Store-bought and take-out pizzas may not be the healthiest options for snacks. You can create a healthy snack version with your child using whole grains and low-fat cheese. Use a whole wheat English muffin and top each with a slice of fresh tomato. Top with low-fat mozzarella and toppings such as green peppers, pineapple tidbits and low-sodium ham. Broil until the cheese melts.