Your three-year-old child is constantly busy exploring new things around him and he may frequently need small snacks to keep his energy level high. Keeping the ingredients for quick snacks on hand makes it easy to provide snacks that even the hungriest and pickiest child will devour.
Fruit Salad
A fruit salad can be prepared in advance and, when refrigerated in an airtight container, can be used for about a week. Dice up apples, grapes, peaches, bananas, strawberries, blueberries and watermelon and mix it all together in a large bowl. You can also turn the fruit salad into a parfait by making layers of fruit and yogurt in a parfait glass and topping with granola or wheat germ.
Fruit Jigglers
To make fruit jigglers, you will need 1/4 cup of your favorite cubed fruit, 2 cups of 100 percent natural fruit juice and 3 tsp. of powdered gelatin. Pour 1/4 cup of the fruit juice into a cup and sprinkle in the gelatin. Simmer a small pan of water and place the cup inside, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir the remaining juice, cubed fruit and gelatin mix into a medium rectangular or square pan and place it in the refrigerator until it sets. Use cookie cutters to cut the gelatin into shapes.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter has a higher fat content than other recommended snacks for younger children, but the included protein and fiber more than make up for it. Peanut butter is a versatile snack that can be eaten in a number of ways. Take two graham crackers, spread peanut butter across one cracker and top with the other. You also can't go wrong with a classic peanut butter and jelly on whole grain bread. Finally, spread some peanut butter on a stalk of celery and place raisins on top to make ants on a log. Consider switching to natural peanut butter to avoid added sugars and trans fats.
Applesauce
Applesauce is a good source of fiber and vitamins and is a creative way to get picky eaters to get an extra serving of fruit. Choose applesauce that is low in sugar and add nuts, raisins or cinnamon for an extra dash of flavor. Applesauce can be eaten by itself or used as a dip for graham crackers, vanilla wafers or animal crackers.
References
- "365 Foods Kids Love to Eat: Nutritious and Kid-Tested"; Ellison and Gray; 1995
- "Feed Your Child Right from Birth through Teens"; Albert C. Goldberg; 2001
- "Healthy Snacks for Healthy Kids"; Dr. Betty Witz; 2000
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