How to Prepare Healthy Children's Snacks

With families' busy schedules, children often eat and snack on the go. Considering that snacks can make up a large portion of your children's daily caloric intake, you can ensure they are getting the nutrients they need by preparing healthy snacks. These snacks should not replace daily meals, and, if they are too high in fat or sugar, they can lead to excess weight gain. However, by preparing healthy snacks in advance, you can be prepared for when the hunger pangs hit.

Things You'll Need

  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Book related to new foods

Instructions

    • 1

      Choose whole-grain bread products when serving your child snack items like crackers, bread or cereal. You can boost the nutrition of whole-grain bread by adding nut butters or cheese, which add protein to the snack.

    • 2

      Serve your child reduced-fat and low-fat milk products when giving her dairy as a food or beverage at snack time. Healthy dairy snack choices that may appeal to your child are frozen yogurt, pudding or pieces of cheese.

    • 3

      Consult the USDA "MyPyramid Food Guidance System" when choosing food for snacks. Picking items from this system to use as snacks is an easy way to get nutritious smaller portions of food. Plan and prepare extras from a meal, such as a cup of soup, to serve as a snack.

    • 4

      Clean and cut vegetables and fruits and put them within reach of your children during snack time. If it's convenient for them, they are much more likely to eat it. You can also serve healthy dips with the vegetables, such as hummus, bean dip or low-fat salad dressing.

    • 5

      Give your children nutritious, locally grown or wild foods. These snacks will taste better than packaged foods and be healthier. You could grow a fruit or vegetable garden as a family project. Your kids will be excited to eat foods they have grown themselves.

    • 6

      Serve snack options from the meat and bean food group to give your child some energy. Nuts are a great source of vitamins but should be served in small portions, as they are high in calories. A 1/4 cup portion is appropriate. Boiled eggs, meat jerky or portions of meat leftover from meals are all healthy snack ideas.

    • 7

      Make new snack recipes together. Trail mix is an easy and nutritious snack that your kids can design for themselves, choosing ingredients from options you provide. Trail mix can be full of healthy snack foods, such as nuts that provide protein and dried fruit for fiber and an energy boost. These ingredients provide long-lasting energy for your kids.

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