Kid-approved Snacks That Taste Great & Are Healthy Too

Your kids' stomachs are much smaller than yours, so they don't eat all that much at one time. They more than make up for this by how often they eat. Still, when they do eat, they can be picky and want only foods that are loaded with sugar and other junk. When it comes to snacks, you need to find a balance between foods that your children will enjoy and those that will provide them with the nutrition that they need.

Fruit

Fruit is sweet and a perfect substitute for sugary treats, such as chocolate, doughnuts and snack cakes. Fruit comes in many varieties, so your children are bound to like at least one kind, if not more. Fruits popular with kids include cherries, bananas, sliced apples, pears, grapes and oranges. If your children still balk at the idea of fruit, try smearing some peanut butter on apple slices, freezing grapes or mixing it all into a healthy fruit salad. You can also use plain, fat-free yogurt as a healthy dip.

Vegetables

When your kids want a treat that is crunchy, vegetables are an obvious choice. Vegetables are filling and have few calories, meaning your children can eat them to their hearts' content. Obviously, most kids won't be too keen on the idea of eating Brussels sprouts, but they may enjoy baby carrots, cucumbers, edamame or celery. Any of these vegetables can be served with some hummus, or top the celery with peanut butter and raisins, making it ants on a log. If your child has a love of potato chips, slice some sweet potatoes very thin, and bake them in the oven until crispy.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a food that may already be popular with your kids. It makes a good substitute for ice cream on hot days. Purchase some unflavored, fat-free yogurt, and let your kids decide on healthy additions to it. Offer options such as bananas, blueberries and strawberries. Or offer honey and granola as additions. Yogurt gives kids the calcium they need for strong bones and the energy they need to keep going until dinner.

Considerations

Don't buy a packaged food simply because it says "all natural" or something similar. A juice box, for example, may be labeled all natural, but juices tend to have an excessive amount of natural sugars, which you probably want to limit. Always check the labels to ensure that the sugar, fat and calorie contents are low, and there are no hidden unhealthy ingredients.