Easy Healthy Kids Snacks

Kids like to snack frequently. Most kids prefer to munch their way through the day with three main meals and snacks evenly spaced between. Frequent eating is a normal part of childhood, as children have growing bodies that require a great deal of energy. Including healthy snacks in their daily diet is part of teaching your child about the benefits of a good diet. Showing your kids how to choose healthy snacks will benefit them as they grow into adulthood.

Pop a bag of popcorn for a healthy crunchy snack that will not only fill your child up but also satisfy the need to crunch. Pretzels are another great munchy snack. Try salsa for dipping and low-fat, low-salt tortilla chips for another tasty snack for variety. Trail mixes of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds provide plenty of nutrients and vitamins in a compact healthy snack. Trail mixes are available pre-packaged, or you can make your own. Grab a plastic container with a lid and pour in unsalted sunflower seeds, raisins, dried apricots, low-salt nuts and yogurt-covered raisins.

Pre-made frozen treats add variety to your child's snack choices. The added benefit is that Mom and Dad control the healthiness of the snack. Place applesauce in small cups with a Popsicle stick in the middle, and freeze overnight for and quick frozen treat. Cut up pieces of banana, roll in peanut butter and then roll the pieces in wheat germ. Layer the pieces on the bottom of a casserole dish and freeze. Move the pieces to a sealed container when frozen. Frozen whole grain waffles are a healthy and easy-to-make snack when paired with low-fat syrup.

Very few kids will make a beeline for the fruit bowl after a hard day of schoolwork and play. However, they will be more inclined to munch on healthy fruits if it's prepared and ready to go. Have cut-up fruits in a fruit salad available for your child to eat instead of chips and cookies. Or encourage your child to try dipping fruit into flavored yogurt.

Cut up carrots, celery, and green peppers into bite-size pieces in containers in the refrigerator. Make sure to have their favorite salad dressing or dips available to spice up this snack. Provide variety to encourage your child to enjoy this wonderful snack that incorporates a variety of vitamins and antioxidants to help a growing body.