Children and young teens often have a big appetite and want healthy snacks for kids. The main meals are not enough for them and they need snack breaks in between whole meals. This can be caused due to the wide plethora of activities that kids keep doing, throughout the day, without resting. They have got a lot to do from playing, studying, providing time for co-curricular, etc. It’s only fair that they might get hungry frequently and need something that would replenish their energy, instantly.
The general tendency of kids is to ask for junk, packaged foods. These are extremely harmful snacks for kids. Thus, you’ve got to be a smart parent and make the snack breaks an opportunity to boost up their intake of healthy foods. Rely on healthy snack recipes that do not just have a nutritional value but are also sumptuous. If you’ve been wondering about the kind of snacks for kids at home or what to give them as school snacks or tiffin food, you’re at the right place. Read along to find out!
Also, read: Healthy Chocolate Snacks
Healthy Snacks for Kids at Home
Here is the list of some healthy snacks for your kids at home:
1. Popcorn
With kids, popcorn is an absolute winner. When it comes to snacks for kids, popcorn is always an option but it’s mostly considered to be junk food. However, the popcorn that’s usually served in shopping malls or elsewhere, is loaded with unhealthy toppings and spices.
Popcorn Popcorn can be made at home and topped with a tad bit of butter and cheese to be made into the perfect snack for kids that can be munched on during the evenings.
2. Cottage Cheese
Who doesn’t love cheese? Kids do for sure! If you want to win their heart, offering them cottage cheese is the best thing you can do. It comes under the category of healthy snacks for kids, owing to its extremely soft and creamy texture. It also contains calcium, proteins, selenium, and vitamin B16. It’s known for ensuring effective brain development and growth in children. The best part about cottage cheese is it’s pretty versatile and can be served just by itself or as a spread on toast.
3. Nuts
Nuts are not just healthy snacks for kids at home but are good for all age groups and are known to provide instant energy. They contain fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats that are great for growth in children and teens. Children are very fond of nuts and salads with nuts or even dried fruit spreads are delicacies for them. Nutty sandwiches can be a great option for school snacks for kids.
4. Raisins
Dried grapes, or raisins cannot be missed out on when it comes to healthy snacks for kids. Raisins consist of iron and plant compounds like oleanolic acid, which is immensely beneficial for children since it protects their teeth and prevents the formation of cavities. If your child is hungry and you’ve nothing else to give them, raisins would act as your savior.
5. Yogurt
Plain full-fat yogurt is an extremely healthy snack for kids. There are a lot of options when it comes to yogurt, owing to the various flavors that are available in the market.
Yogurt However, it’s wiser to not invest in the sweetened ones. You could add a bit of honey and nuts to the yogurt to make it yummier. Yogurt is not just great for the development of bones since it’s rich in calcium and protein, but also aids in smooth digestion due to the presence of live bacteria. If you want to try yogurt flavors, go for the fruity ones since they’re less harmful than the others.
6. Celery with Raisins and Peanut Butter
Adding a few ingredients that are loved by children to healthy fruits or vegetables is a great way of creating new healthy snack recipes. If you’re having a hard time trying to include vegetables in your child’s diet, try this method. Cut the celery into a few pieces and spread peanut butter on them. Peanut butter is usually loved by children due to its nutty flavor. You can either serve the celery just like this or go on to add a few raisins on top to enhance the taste.
Celery with raisins and peanut butterThe sweet raisins do a great job in grabbing attention and your kid’s going to finish the snack in no time. In this way, you’ve got to present good differently for making your child have a healthy diet.
7. Oatmeal
When we think about oats, we usually think of breakfast. But, oats can act as evening snacks for kids, as well. Oats have a high concentration of soluble fibers that help in the process of digestion. Avoid the packaged versions since they contain unnecessary sugars and prepare oats at home, trying out your healthy snack recipes. You can add your favorite fruits or nuts to make it sweet. Moreover, we’d suggest milk, instead of water while preparing oats, since additional calcium and protein would make it healthier.
Related: Coconut Milk
8. Olives
While some people don’t seem to like olives, most children seem to love them. Olives contain antioxidants and healthy fats. They help to get rid of free radicals from the body.
Olives Make sure to remove the pits from olives when you serve them or purchase the ones without pits. Olives work great when added as pasta or pizza toppings, owing to them having a fanbase among children. Olives are healthy snacks for kids that you should surely give a shot and see if they work for your child or not.
Conclusion
With the several delicious snacks for kids mentioned above, is it truly necessary to fall back on packaged foods? We don’t think so. If you begin experimenting with homemade snacks, you could come up with new ideas every day. Motherhood comes with a lot of responsibilities and providing your children with the right kind of food is one of them. It could get a little tricky at times but the options that you’re now aware of, are going to go a long way in saving you on hard days.
Also, read: 10 Phosphorus Rich Foods
