Healthy snacking means happy kids, happy kids mean happy parents!

Healthy kids mean happy parents!

Kids are always hungry and they’re often searching for snacks between meals. Most of the time kids are on the hunt for something sweet and delicious, but this can often mean they’re after something that’s probably bad for them. In relation to one of our other blogs about saying no to your children, this one is about compromise. Kids can have a snack, but how about one that’s nutritious and healthy too?

They say eat a rainbow, so try to give your children something that’s a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. We’ve picked out for you ten of our tried and tested favourite snacks for kids and we think they’re pretty tasty too. Why not make the whole experience even more fun by getting the kids to help you prepare the snacks too?

Popcorn – Popcorn is always great for kids, and surprisingly it’s a whole grain! It’s full of fibre and you can have fun with the kids preparing it! You can even get natural popcorn to pop yourself in the microwave, and there are lots of kinds, salty, sweet, buttery. Why not create your own toppings, such as apple and cinnamon dust or savoury you could add cheese! We often have popcorn at our parties!
Fruit kebabs – Fruit kebabs are a fantastic hit with kids because they’re so versatile. Why not teach your kids about fruits and supervise them creating their own? They can choose their favourite fruits but we really love pineapple, mango, grapes, apple, strawberries, pineapple, kiwi. You can pre slice them then let your kids prepare them on wooden skewers!
Fruits and peanut butter dip – Peanut butter is a great snack for kids, Natural peanut butter (without added sugars and other kinds of fats) is a great snack option. It’s a great source of protein and healthy fats and tastes great with apples, bananas, celery and whole grain or toast.
Yoghurt dipped fruits – Grab some wooden skewers like the ones you used in the fruit kebabs, and then simply cut up a selection of brightly coloured fruits, such as watermelon, raspberries, blueberries, mangoes and strawberries, then prepare a bowl with natural or their favourite healthy yoghurt and dip! You could also try this with melted dark chocolate as a special treat (one they’ll probably enjoy even more!)
Make your own healthy pizza – Believe it or not, pizza can be healthy. We love make your own pizza. This one is great because you get to control what goes on it. Kick off with a pack of whole grain pizza bases and set up a few bowls on the table. Add cheese, tomato sugo, then slices of tomato or ham. They’re so versatile and your kids will enjoy the joining in aspect of it! Just don’t go overboard with the cheese and it’s another take on a sandwich!
Home made smoothies – Have you tried making your own smoothies? They’re naturally nutritious and you can even turn them into frozen smoothie pops! Simply grab a selection of fruits, you could go berries and banana to bulk it up and add yoghurt and a little apple juice. If you want to freeze them, you can get cheap ice-lolly moulds from the supermarket. Simply pour them in and freeze!
Whole grain toastie faces – Like the pizza, make your own always does well with kids, they love taking part. Especially when it’s something funny. Whip up a batch of whole grain toast, then it’s time to add the toppings and make faces! Slice up toppings in shapes they can use to make eyes, nose and a mouth! Don’t over complicate it, keep it simple, you can slice up cheese, ham, even cucumber or tomato. Anything they like! This is a great one for breakfast time to get them to eat! Try peanut butter and fruits!
Fruit stars – Have you got a cookie shape cutter? You can get star shapes and all kinds of shapes to cut out fruit! It’s oh so simple, but it will make an exciting treat for kids! Older kids can make their own!
Sweet potato dip – If your children are looking for crisps, why not slice and bake some fresh sweet potato in the oven and cut into wedges. Add a little olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper for seasoning. Bake for 40 mins and serve with a tasty dipping sauce of their choice. Perhaps an organic healthy BBQ sauce or a light mayonnaise or aioli. It’s a great alternative to crisps if they’re looking for something savoury!
Cheese – Cheese is a great snacking option, as long as kids have it in moderation. It’s full of calcium which they need as they grow and develop. Why not try cheese cut into stars with your cookie cutter and give them a dip to try along with it, such as a light organic jam? All this talk of snacks has got us really hungry!

Feeling peckish?

If you’ve found this blog post interesting, or you would like to share any of your tried and tested snack recipes or even funny stories with us, we would love to hear from you.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog post about another cracking review! That’s all from us for now!

Until next time, big love from me!