Fast & Healthy Snacks Your Kids Will Love

Have picky kids that don’t seem to want to eat anything? Are you tired of dealing with kids who turn their noses up at everything you feed them, especially healthy food?

As a mum, you’re looking to get good nutrition into your kids growing bodies. They’re active and are burning up energy all day long, so you know they need proper nourishment.

But try as you might, you never seem to succeed.

So how can you get them to eat the food their growing bodies need? We've put together a cheat sheet of sorts, a list of a few snacks that are not just delicious, healthy and nutritious, but are also quick and easy to prepare. We've tried and tested each one of these treats with our own kids,  so we're confident your kids will love them!

Apples With Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

Most kids, if enticed enough, will eat fruit without too much of an issue. Fruit is loaded with antioxidants, rich in fiber, and full of vitamins. Mother nature’s candy!

The only thing that makes feeding your kids just fruit less than ideal however is the fact that it’s not a complete snack. You want to get some protein and ideally healthy fats in there as well.

Solution?

Prepare a delicious healthy dip. This will not only nourish your kids better, but also help make the fruit that much more exciting to eat.

Try sliced apples with a peanut butter yogurt dip. Simply melt a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter into some plain Greek yogurt and then serve. They’ll devour this in seconds.

Other great fruits to try with this dip include bananas, grapes, and pears.

Ants on a Log

The next great option is ants on a log. Ants on a log are fast and easy to make and are great for packing in school lunches as well.

Simply take a few celery stalks, clean them, and then slice them in half. Then smear some low fat or fat free cream cheese in there and top with some raisins or dried cranberries along with some peanut or cashew halves.

Energy Bite Balls

Energy bite balls are another terrific option for when you need a snack on the go. These are also quick and easy to prepare ahead of time and can be stored for an entire week in the fridge.

Simply mix together some raw oats with some nut butter, a little honey, along with some dried coconut and chopped nuts. Form into bite sized balls and then place in a Tupperware container.

These are more calorie dense, so just be sure that you aren’t serving too many at once or it could lead to weight gain in your child.

Fruit Smoothies

Don’t  forget about fruit smoothies! Rather than buying a commercially prepared smoothie however, which often comes loaded with added sugars from the frozen yogurt they use, prepare your own.

If you aren’t comfortable giving your kids protein powder at their age, you can still incorporate sufficient protein into a fruit smoothie by simply using some Greek yogurt or low fat cottage cheese. Both will deliver at least 15 grams of protein per serving.

Simply mix this yogurt or cottage cheese with a little natural peanut or almond butter for healthy fats, some unsweetened almond milk (to keep the sugar content down), along with some fresh or frozen fruit. Then you’re set.

For kids who don’t have much of an appetite for eating, this can be a far better choice as they’ll usually drink a beverage before they’ll eat solid food.

Grapes and Fluffy Dip

Another great dip option that’ll get your kids eating more fruit is fluffy dip. For this one, you’ll simply take some lighted whipped topping and mix that with some Greek yogurt along with some fruit flavored Jell-O powder. Stir this all together, let sit for one hour and then serve with some fresh grapes, pineapple or berries.

This is one your kids will be sure to love.

Cheese and Fruit Kabobs

An ultra simple yet highly eye-pleasing snack for any time during the day. Simply cut up some small cheese cubes (or use cookie cutters for fun shapes) and then skewer the cheese along with apple slices, berries, pears, or any other fruit of your liking.

Kids will have a blast eating these – and get some good nutrition in at the same time.

Frozen Peanut Butter Pops

Finally, a great snack for hot days is frozen peanut butter pops. You can use these in a popsicle mold or simply use them in ice cube trays instead if you prefer.

Simply mix together one cup of plain, reduced fat Greek yogurt, a third of a cup of peanut butter, half a cup of light coconut milk, and then half a cup of powdered stevia.

Blend this all together and then pour into the ice cube trays or molds and freeze for about four hours. Serve when desired.

You can also use this recipe and stir it every half an hour or so while in the freezer to make an ice-cream sort of mixture that can be served right in a bowl if your kids prefer.

So there you have it, some great snack ideas that are quick and easy to prepare and, most importantly your kids will be sure to love them. You really don’t have to resort to feeding them premade commercially prepared snacks, which are often loaded with chemicals and a list of unhealthy ingredients - sure they're convenient but consider that you'll only be setting your kids up for health and weight problems down the road 

 

...and remember, qualified nutritionists at Healthy Being are available to offer further general advice to help guide you in selecting the right products. So please, feel free to contact us at any time!

---

Shannon Clark is a qualified nutritionist and a regular contributor to Healthy Being Insights. She specialises in weight control and management as well as optimal fitness performance. She's devoted to helping readers obtain their own personal best health and fitness and stays on top the latest trends in the industry.