KTK-Nutrition : Tasty Snacks for Kids

Snacks – should kids have snacks?  Do snacks ruin a kid’s appetite?  Are snacks healthy?  So often I hear that kids shouldn’t have
snacks.  So untrue.  All kids not only should have snacks but
actually need snacks.  Kids, especially
younger kids, have very small stomachs.  They
can’t eat large amounts of food at meals so they get hungry between meals.  USDA
sets a meal pattern for child care centers and this meal plan has a morning
snack and an afternoon snack.  School-age
kids should have an after-school or afternoon snack every day.  But this snack shouldn’t be gorging on junk
food.  What
are some guidelines for
healthy snacks and what are some snacks kids can make for themselves?
And, how can you use making snacks to teach some math, colors, shapes?

What are some guidelines for healthy snacks
for kids?

1. Fruits and vegetables – a great way to get your
   kids to eat more fruits and veggies is to serve them at snack time. 
2. Remember whole grains – many kids today get no
   whole grains in their day.  There are
   some creative ways to sneak whole grains into a snack.  Oatmeal cookies, whole grain Goldfish
   crackers, whole grain pretzels.  A bowl
   of any General Mills’ cereal is a great snack for a kid.
3. Protein – kids are hungry at snack time.  Protein helps fill them up.  Think cheese, yogurt, hummus.  Flavored milk, like real chocolate milk is a
   great treat for snack time.  Yes, some
   sugar in chocolate milk but kids will drink it and it will add some calcium,
   vitamin D and a good quality protein to their day.

 What
are some snacks kids can make themselves?  

Kids
are on many different schedules this school year.  Some are home, some go to school part-time
and some are back to a normal school schedule. 
Whether your kid is home and needs a snack, or comes home from school
and needs an afternoon snack, what are some snacks they can make
themselves or help
make? 

1. Ants on a log is a well-known favorite
   for kids – easy to make, just celery – you can have some celery already cut up in
   3 to 4-inch sticks and ready for this snack, peanut butter, and raisins and
   maybe some nuts (if your child has no nut allergies).  For variety, try some nut butters, use trail
   mix for the topping, or let your child sprinkle some of their favorite cereal
   on their “logs”.   To help your kid learn math, have them measure
   out 2 teaspoons of peanut butter (or nut butter) and 10 raisins.  Or, make some of the fun variations and use
   cream cheese instead of peanut butter and vary the toppings.

Help your kids learn to measure and count with this snack.

 

 2.  Yogurt and berry parfait – let them
choose the berries they like.  Berries
can be fresh or frozen.  Your child can
make a parfait of yogurt, berries and a topping of granola or their favorite General
Mills or other healthy cereal.  Some
chopped nuts can add some crunch and more protein.  

3. Veggies and dip can be a good snack but
may not have enough calories if you only provide a low-calorie dip.  Carrots and fat-free Ranch dressing are not
really a good snack as this won’t provide your child with enough calories.  Carrots and hummus as a dip would be a much
wiser and healthier choice.  For younger
kids, have some veggies (baby carrots, cut up: cauliflower, broccoli, radishes
or some cucumber slices) cut up in the fridge and let your child choose what
veggies they want.    

4. Apple
“cookies”.  Core an apple for your kid(s).  Slice the apple into round slices (donut
hole).  Have your child put peanut butter or a nut butter on the apple
slices and sprinkle with some chocolate chips.  Serve with a glass of
real milk.  

 

 

 

 

5. The hungry dragonfly AKA PBJ Fruity
Caterpillar Kebobs – so much fun for a kid to make and then to eat.  This idea from Pinterest which has so many
fun ideas for snacks for kids.  Parents
and kids can even watch a video
on how to make this fun snack.  As your kid is helping prepare this snack, use it to teach colors, shapes, math.

• Ingredients
  – banana slices, grapes (cut in half for small kids so they don’t
  choke), strawberries, whole grain bread slices, peanut butter, jelly,
  and some kebob skewer sticks.
• Spread peanut butter on a slice of bread.  Spread jelly on a different bread slice.  Put together.
• Cut the PBJ sandwich into little, one-inch circles.
• Cut tops off strawberries but leave intact for the caterpillar “head”.
• Assemble
  your caterpillar on the kebob:  Bread circle, banana slice, grape,
  bread circle, banana slice, grape, then a strawberry top.
• For caterpillar “eyes”, either use “sugar eyes” used in cake decorating or pieces of banana or some small chocolate chips. 
• Vary the fruit – use blueberries or other fruit on your kebob.

A fun snack kids can help make. 

 

       6.      
Microwave Pizza Pitas 

• Whole grain pita – rub
  some olive oil on the pita pocket, cover pita with some spaghetti sauce
  (from a glass jar, better for the environment), top with grated cheese
  and maybe some pepperoni slices.  Add a pinch of garlic salt or Italian
  seasoning.  A minute or less in the microwave should melt the cheese. 
  Or, use some whole grain English muffins for your “pizza”.     

 

source https://betterweightloss.info/ktk-nutrition-tasty-snacks-for-kids/