Healthy Snacks for Your Kids

Some diet gurus argue against any snacking whatsoever. This approach is akin to going upstream in a canoe without a paddle! People like to snack and are far better off snacking healthfully than trying to grit their teeth and starve themselves between meals. Actually, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers who undoubtedly snacked throughout the day. Snacking actually helps increase metabolic activity (it takes energy to digest food) and eating modest-sized snacks can help decrease excessive eating at meals.

Healthy snacks have the following properties in common:

Tasty

Appealing in looks

Very low in fat

High in fiber, if possible

High in protein (not necessary, but an advantage – can decrease appetite)

Consider trying the following simple snacks for your hungry children after school or in between meals during the weekend:

CHEESE NACHOS

Ingredients:
Fat free tortilla chips
Fat free Mexican or cheddar or mozzarella cheese, finely shredded
Spices to taste (garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder)
Chopped green chilies

Directions: Line a non-stick baking sheet and lightly spray with non-fat cooking spray. Arrange tortilla chips on baking sheet. Sprinkle chips with chilies, cheese, and spices. Bake in preheated oven (450º) 10-15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted and lightly browned.

CHEX MIX

Ingredients:
Melba toast
Fat-free crackers (rye or saltines)
Chex cereal (rice, corn and/or wheat)
Worcestershire sauce
Spices (onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder)
Sugar
Water

Directions: Preheat oven to 300º. Use non-stick baking sheet and spray lightly with non-fat cooking spray. Blend water, Worcestershire sauce, spices, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix this spread with the remaining ingredients and spread on to the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 20 minutes until browned and crisp.

PRETZELS AND MUSTARD

Ingredients:
Pretzels (preferably fat-free)
Mustards (include a selection such as honey mustard and Dijon
Barbecue sauce

Directions: Place a modest amount of pretzels in small bowls, 1/2 –1 cup for each child. Place mustards into small dipping bowls and enjoy.

CARROTS AND RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:
Small pre-washed baby carrots|
Fat-free Ranch dressing (can use other fat-free and very low fat
dressings, such as low-fat blue cheese dressing)

Directions: Place carrots in a large bowl and fat-free dressings in small bowls and dip.

DRIED FRUIT

Ingredients:
Dried cherries
Dried mangos
Dried raspberries
Dried strawberries

Directions: Place each dried fruit in its own separate bowl and allow your children to mix and match.

BLUEBERRIES AND VANILLA YOGURT

Ingredients:
Fresh or frozen blueberries
Fat-free vanilla yogurt

Directions: In small 1-cup containers, place yogurt and then sprinkle with blueberries.

FRESH VEGETABLES AND ONION DIP

Ingredients:
Variety of fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, celery, and snap peas
Fat-free onion dip

Directions: Place each vegetable in its own small bowl. Place onion dip in center and enjoy.

BANANAS AND CREAM

Ingredients:
Bananas, cut up into slices
Fat-free sour cream

Directions: Place in 1-cup containers fat-free sour cream and mix in liberally with bananas. You can also add small marshmallows and even raisins or other dried fruit to this mix.

CRACKERS AND CHEESE

Ingredients:
Fat-free crackers, various sorts (rye krisps, saltines)
Fat-free cheeses, including fat-free feta and fat-free smoked cheddar

Directions: Cut cheeses into small wedges and allow children to place onto crackers.

DOGS AND BEANS

Ingredients:
Fat-free or low-fat hot dogs
Fat-free baked beans

Directions: Microwave hot dogs until thoroughly cooked. Slice into small 1/2 cup containers of preheated baked beans.

RICE CAKES AND PEANUT WONDER

Ingredients:
Cheddar fat-free or low-fat rice cakes of various sorts (cheddar cheese; popcorn flavored; apple cinnamon; caramel)

Peanut Wonder or other very low-fat soy-based peanut butter substitute (one fat gram per tablespoon)

Directions: Smear Peanut Wonder onto one or two rice cakes per child.

FRESH FRUIT AND YOGURT

Ingredients:
Fresh fruit of various sorts cut up (pears, apples, melons)
Fat-free vanilla, lemon, or fruit yogurts

Directions: Place each flavor of yogurt into a separate bowl and cut up and place each type of fruit into a separate bowl. Encourage children to try out different flavors.

FAT-FREE ENGLISH MUFFIN PIZZAS

Ingredients:
Spreadable pizza sauce (such as Contadina)
English muffins
Fat-free mozzarella cheese

Directions: Keep English muffins frozen to maintain longevity. Spread pizza sauce onto frozen English muffin. Sprinkle liberally with cheese. Bake in oven (350º) for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese becomes lightly browned.