When it comes to snacks, picky eaters will typically want to pick something that is full of sugar, fat, salt or caffeine and will shy away from anything healthy. To get picky eaters to eat healthy snacks, present them with choices that taste good and maybe even trick their taste buds into thinking they are not making a healthy choice.
Fresh Fruit
Fresh fruit should be your first choice when giving a snack to a picky eater, especially if she is constantly craving sweets. Fruit is loaded with natural sugars, taking care of the cravings while giving the health benefits of minerals and vitamins. The secret is to find a fruit she loves and start there before expanding into other options. Start with choices like apples, bananas, grapes and oranges, then add seasonal options, such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Get creative by making projects out of fruit or make a fruit salad.
Cookie Cutter Toasted Cheese
Toasted cheese is a healthy, butter-free alternative to grilled cheese that is simple to make. There are two ways to make a toasted cheese. The easiest way to make it is to place two slices of whole-wheat bread into the toaster. Once it's done, top a slice of bread with two slices of low-fat cheese. Top the cheese with the other piece of bread and microwave the sandwich for 20 seconds. Alternatively, you can place the sandwich on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees F until the cheese is melted. Use cookie cutters to cut out a fun shape and serve with a glass of low-fat milk.
Cinnamon Raisin Trail Mix
Cinnamon raisin trail mix is a handy snack for someone who is constantly on the go and needs a snack that is tasty and portable. This homemade trail mix is easy to make and doesn't have the added sugars or preservatives store-bought trail mix has. Take a large bowl and combine 2 cups of pretzel bits, 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 2 cups of hexagon corn cereal, 2 cups of toasted oats cereal, 3/4 cup of raisins and 1 tbsp. of cinnamon. Mix them up and make small, snack-sized bags you can grab on the way out the door.
Vegetables and Dip
Even the pickiest eaters love foods that you have to dip. Set out a platter of vegetables and two to three separate items for dipping. Dippable vegetables include stalks of celery baby carrot sticks, cauliflower and baby tomatoes. Ideas for dips include hummus, low-fat Italian dressing and natural peanut butter.
References
- "The Fussy Eaters' Recipe Book: 135 Quick, Tasty and Healthy Recipes that Your Kids Will Actually Eat"; Annabel Karmel; 2008
- "Bean Appetit: Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food"; Shannon Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen; 2010
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