Friday, August 21, 2009

Kids and Snacks - Fun Food Friday

Snacks are a great opportunity to sneak some nutrition into your kids' diets. Toddlers, especially, tend to eat better when snacking (probably since they can't sit still for a real meal!) How can you make snacks that are both enjoyable and healthy? Here are some pointers:

  1. Sometimes, easy is best: try cubes of cheese, cherry tomatoes, celery and carrot sticks, and bananas. These require little or no preparation, and travel well.
  2. Another to-go treat is the ever-faithful smoothie. Start with milk, and yogurt, and add any fruit you have on hand. You can sneak in other foods for even more goodness- try silken tofu for a protein boost.
  3. For picky eaters, try serving slices of fruit with a yogurt dip, or peanut butter (for older kids.) The combination of sweet fruit and dipping fun can please, especially for toddlers.
  4. Whole grains are nutritious and filling- try finger food cereal, such as cheerios or kix (younger children) and a frosted shredded wheat (older children.) Also, there are many whole grain crackers now on the market, and granola bars are always a good standby.
  5. For homemade treats the kids can help make (involving children in cooking can encourage them to try the finished product) try cookies. Made with whole grain flour, oatmeal, nuts, and dried fruit, these treats are always popular- and your kids will never know they're getting something healthy.

Do you use snacktimes to get healthy foods into your family's diet? Please comment and share any tips you have for family-friendly foods. Or take a look at my other Fun Food Friday posts:

Fun Food- sneaking in nutrition- lasagna

Fun Food- green vegetables

Please visit Homemaker Barbi for more great Family Friday ideas!

2 comments:

Diann said...

It's funny, as I was reading this post, my 19 month old is walking around with her Dora cup filled with Kix thinking she is totally special!

mahmommy said...

aren't kids great?

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