Teens do not have to snack on empty calorie foods such as chips, candy bars and sugary sodas. Healthy snack options are available that teens will eat and enjoy. By serving healthy and satisfying snacks to teens you can help them avoid unwanted weight gain and spikes and dips in their energy levels. Create healthy teen snacks by using lean proteins and fiber-rich foods, which will provide teens with sustained amounts of energy.
Coated Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut butter contains heart-healthy unsaturated fats and high amounts of fiber, which are important for a growing teen's diet. The combination of healthy fats and proteins will provide teens with a considerable amount of healthy energy. Make the coated peanut butter balls by rolling small, marble-size balls of peanut butter between the palms of your hands then roll them in whole-grain cereal such as oats. The whole-grain cereal adds a considerable amount of healthy fiber to the snack. Once rolled, they are ready to eat.
Healthy Muffins
Generally, teens enjoy fresh baked goods and you can make baked goods a healthy snack option. Take your teen's favorite bread or muffin recipe and make it with healthier ingredients. Replace the white flour with whole wheat flour. Use applesauce as a replacement for the oil. Use heart-healthy margarine to replace butter. Leave out the egg yolk and only use the whites; you will need two egg whites for each whole egg. Avoid whole milk products. Add in a half cup to a cup of fruit or nuts, such as blueberries or walnuts, to the batter. Cook the muffins or bread as usual and serve them to your teens. These snacks will be high in fiber and low in unhealthy fats and cholesterol.
Spice Up the Popcorn
Instead of serving buttery popcorn, which is high in calories and fat, serve a lower calorie spiced popcorn. Take 1/4 cup of plain popcorn kernels and place them in a bowl. Pour 2 tsp. of olive oil into the bowl with the popcorn kernels. Mix the popcorn and olive oil together until all the kernels are coated in oil. Then, mix in your teen's favorite spices. Try spices such as jalapeno, cayenne or even some hot taco seasoning. Add in enough spices to cover the popcorn kernels. Then, place the popcorn kernels into a brown paper bag and fold it closed. Place the bag in the microwave and cook on high for two to three minutes. This will provide a fiber-rich filling snack.
Tofu and Crackers
Buy tofu that has been seasoned and cooked at your health food store or natural grocery store. Cut this tofu into small cube-size pieces. Serve these tofu pieces on a plate with low-fat slices of cheese, hummus, tomatoes and whole grain crackers. Let your teens make tofu sandwiches with these ingredients. The snack sandwiches will provide a healthy amount of protein, fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals. According to HelpGuide.org, teens need between 45 and 60 g of protein per day to keep their body healthy and developing properly.
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