Healthy snacks for kids are generally a great way to curb your kids’ hunger in the quickest manner possible. You can immediately make them at home. Besides, it is essential to remember whether they are healthy snacks for kids.
How, then, would you manage to curb your little one’s hunger while maintaining their nutrition diet? No need to worry. This is what we are here for, right?
From ready-to-eat meals and packed foods to natural and homemade snacks, there are brilliant and surprisingly healthy options to pick from. Scrolling down you can find some of these ideas suitable for your household or create your own with the references.
We are going to divide these varieties of snacks into 4 categories:
Packed Foods
No, we are not asking you to buy chips and candies as quick food. Surely, they can be given as a treat every once in a while but they need not be a substitute for real food. However, there are some packaged food substances that are quite healthy and nutrient-rich. Below are some of those.
a. Baked Chips
You should totally avoid chips if they’re fried or spicy as a snack. But what if they were baked and nutritious? How?
Well, chips that are baked or air-fried(like banana chips, except they can be eaten solo) retain most of their nutritious property and are healthy actually. You can add mayonnaise or veggies as a combination with it to give to your kids as ‘good summer food’.
b. Packaged Dry fruits
If your child has a thing for dry fruits then bingo! This habit will go a long way to their nourishment. But if they scrunch up their noses at the name, then salted dry fruits coming in packets can be a start to make them taste these. A trail mix can be made with a combination of these. But do make sure you pick packets that mention the optimum amount of salt and butter.
c. Dried Fruits
Drying fruits and packing them or buying same from the nearby store is a high-key way to make your kids love healthy desserts. Even if they refuse to eat a particular fruit, you can find a dried version of it and ask them to give it a try. It tastes a lot different!
d. Multigrain Crackers
Who doesn’t love crunchy crackers with yummy string cheese over them? Or crackers dipped in guacamole or hummus? It’s a great snack during summer or to carry on a picnic for whenever your kids feel hungry and come running asking for food. It’s not only healthy but contains more nutrients and vitamins than simple white flour crackers.
e. Popcorn
Movie night with family and don’t wanna sit in the kitchen for half of the movie? Go for popcorn. In case you forgot, popcorn comes from corn and you can also make them at home. The good news is that popcorn has enough calories and a high amount of carbs that are necessary for kids. But to buy from outside- make sure that the packet you buy contains less salt and butter. You can also buy ‘Pink Salted popcorn’ which is very healthy.
Naturals
These are absolutely the best options while looking out for something healthy. This can also help to get your kids to start eating organic and natural food from early on. If you’re lucky, your kids would be happy with eating their veggies. And even if you’re not, your kids will start loving organic food without any bribe by following the ways written below.
a. Hummus
Ground chickpeas with lemon juice, an apt amount of garlic paste, and sesame seeds make up this delicious dip. It can be used to eat celery or with other veggies as a delicacy.
b. Charcuterie Plate
A charcuterie plate contains different cheese, smoked or cured meats, crackers, celery, fruits, dipping sauces, etc, like ‘every protein-rich food on the plate’. It’s always a go-to if you’re in a hurry and can’t find anything healthy in particular to serve the kids. It serves all the essential nutrients like carbs, fat, and vitamins on one platter.
c. Crispy veggies
Want to add a twist to those green and fiber-rich vegetables sitting in your fridge? First, you freeze a bag of veggies after adding a natural mixture of coatings, then you drop them out in a pan and add olive oil or peanut oil. Stir fry for a few minutes and… ready! Enjoy the nutritious crisp with a dip.
Fruits and Nuts
Fruits and nuts are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They’re also good for your overall health and can help you lose weight or manage your blood levels.
There are a variety of fruits and nuts that you can eat in moderation, including apples, bananas, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapes, honeydews, lavenders, macadamia nuts, mangoes, pecans, strawberries, and watermelons.
a. Frozen Fruit Popsicles
“Mom! I want blueberry and strawberry popsicles right now.”
“We have blueberry and strawberry popsicles at home.”
The popsicles at home-
Not bad though, right? Guess what? It’s easier than you think to make these at home.
Chop your favorite fruits into halves, and make a milk cream by making a smoothie of the same fruit in a separate container. Next, you add those chopped pieces to the mixture and put them inside the freezer within popsicle molds. And your frozen fruit popsicles are ready!
b. Trail Mix
You don’t even have to put forth more than two drops of effort for this. Trail mix is a famous and tasty go-to snack for kids of all ages (also adults). It is a mixture of a variety of nuts, dried fruits, and sometimes even candies. Kids will find it easier to pick this over candies (which contain only added sugars) in general if given from early age.
c. Yogurt
While this seems like an easy choice to make, it’s also an all-rounder one. It contains proteins, vitamin D (essential for bone development and strengthening), and other minerals that help in digestion as well. In addition, flavored yogurt is mouth-watering convenience food.
Homemade Delicacies
If you’re looking for delicious and healthy snacks for kids that you should give your kids, then you should try making some homemade delicacies. There are a number of recipes available online that will help you create delicious and nutritious food items that will leave you feeling satisfied.
a. Guacamole
This delicious avocado homemade dip can be used literally almost anywhere. Be it as a salad dressing, in a tuna sandwich, with veg patties or a Turkey burger, or as a dip for crispy veggies; you always find it as an appetizing paste of proteins and fibers.
b. Smoothies
Smoothies! Mhmm! Smoothies are just the synonym for heaven in a mouth! Just chop their favourite fruits, drop them in a mixer, and add milk with some cream and a bit of natural sugar- you have a whole mug of delicious liquid refreshment as a result.
c. Banana Roll-Ups
It’s a cherry on top if your family likes bananas already. If they do not, you can ask them to try this quick dessert.
If you have a tortilla, peanut butter, and a banana at home, perfect. Spread peanut butter evenly on one piece of tortilla, put a peeled banana on one side, and start rolling. Then cut that roll into pieces.
This has a good amount of protein due to peanut butter and anti-oxidants plus ions because of banana.
d. Deli Turkey Wrap
By the name itself you can guess what this one would be. All you do is spread deli turkey pieces, guacamole, and some chopped cherry tomatoes together over a tortilla and then wrap it up as in a subway order. It has a high amount of protein, carbs, and fat. Make sure to use no salt and remove sodium content from your turkey.
Mixed Food
Healthy mixed food is a great way for healthy snacks for kids to get your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. It’s also a good way to fuel your body so that you can perform at your best all day long.
a. Veg Patties
While this may seem like junk food, it’s not always. You can use soaked lentils and/or make spreads using different chopped vegetables and fried together as a patty. Then you can use it in the sandwich. You can pick multigrain bread here in place of regular bread which is full of fiber, minerals, and vitamins.
b. Guacamole and Chips
No better and quicker way to enjoy that delicious avocado dip. Not all chips are healthy to eat, agreed. But baked chips or homemade ones are a mind-blowing substitute for fried chips with salty and yummy guac.
c. Cheese and Crackers
Some cheese varieties like Havarti are a perfect pair with crackers. It’s perfect for healthy snacks for kids. eating crackers most of the time. Furthermore, the creamy taste of cheese with the buttery and nutty taste of crackers fits well inside the mouth when hunger hits. Since it has high carbs, fats, and some amount of ions, it acts like a tasty appetizer.
Conclusion
It may not be easy to pick quick snacks for your kids while taking care of healthy contents in it all at the same time.
It is also not easy to hook them on natural foods like vegetables and fruits. Though you can still go a different way and get a step ahead by picking these snacks on any normal day.
The recipes mentioned above are also not too bothersome to make. Therefore, you can easily make anything from them or try your own experiments with the ideas given in this article.
Now you probably know how fruits and vegetables can be used to your advantage and made delicious dishes out of. And don’t forget to try the packed foods too. In addition, remember that you’re choosing something full of proteins, fiber, and fats to make your little ones feel full and get in good shape.
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FAQs
Ans. All of the snacks from the list are healthy and good for every kid in the world (that includes India too). However, some ingredients are hard to find in Indian convenience stores. For that, you can pick the recipes from here that suit you best.
Ans. Mostly the healthiest snacks are the fruity ones. In other words, frozen fruits, fruit skewers with dips or yogurt, sweet and tart fruits with cheese and dry fruits, etc. You can combine fruits with almost anything edible. Just make sure that you’re not using added sugars or too much sodium.
