10 tips for your children to eat healthy snacks

During vacations, children tend to eat more than when they are in school, as they do not face the conflict of paying attention to their classes and following a specific meal schedule. Snacking is a pastime for many children and it is not necessarily bad. Nutritious snacks can help your child curb hunger throughout the day while also providing important nutrients. Here are 10 tips to ensure your children eat healthy snacks: Keep junk food out of the house. Your child is not going to ask for cookies, candy, or chips if you don't have them on hand; set a good example with healthy snacks for yourself. Choose whole grains. Foods with whole grains like whole grain pretzels or cereals provide enough energy. Mix and match. Serve carrots or other vegetables with fat-free dips, or fresh fruit mixed with yogurt. Also mix peanut butter or hazelnut spread with apples or bananas. Expand the menu. Offer something different from the usual, like pineapple, blueberries, peppers: yellow, green, orange, or red; mangoes, or soy products. Use breakfast options. Serve scrambled eggs or toast with low-sugar jam as a snack. Sweeten it up. Healthy snacks for kids don’t have to be just savory; to satisfy your children’s sweet cravings, you can offer gelatin, yogurt ice cream, or frozen fruit bars. You can also make milkshakes or smoothies with natural fruit and low-fat milk or non-fat yogurt. Have fun. Use a cookie cutter to make different shapes from a slice of low-fat cheese or whole grain bread, make fruit kebabs, or teach your child how to eat sliced fruit with chopsticks. Build a tower of fiber-rich or grain cookies, spell words with pretzel sticks, or create funny faces on a plate using different types of fruit. Encourage independence. Keep various ready-to-eat vegetables in the refrigerator, leave fresh cut fruit in a container in the kitchen, and keep whole grain cereal, dried fruit, or juice in an easily accessible pantry for the kids. Don’t be fooled by labels. Foods labeled as low-fat or fat-free can be high in calories and sodium, and foods labeled as cholesterol-free can be high in fat, saturated fat, and sugar. Check the nutrition label to discover the components of the products you are buying. Designate a snacking zone. Restrict snacking to certain areas like the kitchen; this will prevent your child from consuming countless calories in front of the television and allow you to have more control over what your children eat. Teaching your children to consume healthy snacks is an investment in their healthy living for life; it’s never too late to start.   Recipes for Healthy Snacks Green Tea Smoothie with Banana and Blueberries. Start your day with a refreshing and nutritious green tea smoothie with banana and blueberries. Fruit Hearts. Fruit skewers to accompany any breakfast. Bunny-Shaped Pancakes. This bunny-shaped pancake idea is super creative and ideal for an Easter breakfast this weekend with the family! Fruit Ice Pops. Delicious, refreshing, and very easy to make. Fruit Salad in Melon Bunny. This idea of cutting a melon into a bunny shape is very clever and perfect for an Easter breakfast. The kids will go crazy for it! Fruit with Cream. A 100% healthy dessert of fruit with whipped cream. Two-Tone Ice Pops. Make delicious ice pops; they are a fun way for your kids to consume fruit. Try making different combinations always thinking of an appealing colorful presentation. Snack for Kids. This tasty snack for kids is very rich and plays with sweet flavors that children love, along with healthy proteins and fiber to give them energy. If you want to see the recipes we have for kids, click here