Snacks are an important part of a young child's day and a way to introduce nutrient rich foods and include them in your child's diet. What you feed your young child influences how they form healthy eating habits, which are first established when a child is as young as 2 or 3 years old. Teaching children to pay attention to what their bodies need will help them learn when they are hungry or full, so they can regulate what, how much and when they need to eat.
Grains
Whole grain breads and crackers, rice cakes and unsweetened cereals, oatmeal and granola are nutritious snack choices that do not require lengthy preparation. If you want to cook, try brown rice with vegetables for a warm, healthy snack. Children like pasta, so they will enjoy a warm snack of pasta with herbs. Cook whole wheat pasta, and then toss with a combination of skim milk, parsley, garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder and olive oil. Snack-sized portions of pasta, rice, cereal and sandwiches are more manageable for children who need less food than adults. If children are encouraged to decide how much to eat, they tend to serve themselves the amount of food they need.
Fruits
Whole fruit, fruit slices, applesauce and fruit salads are nutrient-rich snacks. Try mixing plain low-fat yogurt, frozen orange juice concentrate and a little vanilla to create a fruit dip. Spoon the dip into a small bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and let your child choose from fresh strawberries, melon balls, banana or slices of apple or peaches.
A blueberry smoothie, made with fresh or frozen blueberries, low fat vanilla yogurt and pineapple juice, is a healthy, colorful snack for young children. Let them help you put the ingredients into the blender and watch the mix become smooth and blue. Serve the smoothie in a clear cup so your child sees the unusual color of this tasty snack.
Blueberries are a low-fat snack and a source of vitamin C, fiber, beta-carotene, potassium and minerals. They are richer in antioxidants and phytochemicals than other fruits, and they provide many health benefits.
Vegetables
Ask your child to help plan meals, shop and prepare food. Vegetables and fruits contain nutrients that are essential to a young child's growth and development. If your young child likes vegetables, she will probably eat them as an adult. Introduce one new vegetable at a time, let your child taste it, even reject it and try again another day. Developing your child's fruit and vegetable palette is important, not only during childhood, but for lifelong health.
Steamed vegetables with noodles, rice or in a warm soup make a healthy snack for children. Some children enjoy fresh raw or blanched vegetables with or without different types of dips. You can blend of plain low-fat yogurt, dill weed and parsley for a dip to be served with carrot and celery sticks, bell pepper slices, cucumber or broccoli. Serve the dip in individual bowls, surrounded by assorted, colorful vegetables.
Legumes, Nuts And Seeds
Mix sunflower seeds with dried fruit for a quick snack. Make a mini-sandwich by spreading thin layers of natural peanut- or almond butter on two graham crackers. Put thin slices of banana or peach between the crackers, and serve with cold low-fat milk or soymilk. Ask children about nut allergies before serving any peanut butter snacks.
Dairy
Low fat milk, string cheese, yogurt or hard-boiled eggs are healthy dairy snacks. Try giving your child a scoop of plain yogurt in a bowl plus ingredients to assemble a yogurt sundae. Let children choose from a platter of sliced, chunked or chopped strawberries, peaches, berries, bananas and pineapple children which fruits to use as toppings. They can finish preparing their sundaes by adding chopped nuts, coconut or granola.
References
- University of Nevada Cooperative Extension: Heat When You Are Hungry, Stop When You Are Full; Teresa Byington et al.
- Iowa Department of Education: Physical Activities and Healthy Snacks for Young Children
- Louisiana State University Agricultural Center: Blueberries Offer Nutritional Bonuses; June 2006
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Healthy Eating for Children 2 Through 5 Years Old: A Guide for Parents and Childcare Providers
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