It can be hard to keep your child interested in healthy foods with so many snack options available. Good nutrition is a key part of building muscle, having energy and growing up. We’ve got some great tips and lots of snack time recipes to help you steer your little one away from the corn syrup and junk food, and toward the leafy greens and ripe fruits.
Many children enjoy planting a seed and watching it grow. Together, you can plant a quick-growing seed like a bean or radish, and watch its progress. This gives children a sense of accomplishment and sparks an interest in trying new vegetables that you grew together.
Try taking your kids to the farmer’s market to stimulate a love for healthy foods. When children can help shop and choose healthy local foods, they are more likely to enjoy eating those foods and keep their healthy eating habits long into the future.
Snack time is a great opportunity to get more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your child’s diet. Check out some healthy snack ideas:
Instead of fruit-flavored snacks…
Make Fruit Salad
- Wash and peel a variety of colorful fruits.
- Cut fruits into bite-sized pieces. Combine in a large bowl.
- Cut the lime in half. Squeeze the juice over the fruit.
- Drizzle a Tablespoon of honey if you like.
- Stir ingredients to combine and enjoy!
Instead of snacks or energy bars…
Make Banana Crunch
- Mash a large ripe banana in a bowl or Ziploc bag.
- Add ½ cup of granola.
- Add a dash of cinnamon.
- Mix ingredients together.
- Spread mixture onto whole wheat wafers or graham crackers and enjoy!
- Note: Have kids make these tasty snacks in a bag! Allowing kids to help you make these snacks in Ziploc bags reduces clean-up and saves time.
Instead of cheesy crackers…
Make Fruit and Cheese Kabobs
- Cut block cheese into small cubes.
- Wash, peel, and cut a variety of colorful fruits into bite-sized pieces.
- Slide food onto coffee stirrer “skewers” or whole wheat pretzel sticks. Switch between fruit and cheese pieces.
Instead of frozen fruit snacks…
Make Frozen Fruit Poppers
- Wash and peel a variety of colorful fruits.
- Cut fruits into bite-sized pieces. Place in a freezer-safe bag.
- Let freeze in the freezer. Pull out and enjoy!
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