Snacks are a part of any complete meal plan, and we’re so glad one of our readers wrote to ask for healthy snack ideas so that we could share this component with you now.
When kids are younger there are usually two snack times, and then there is the after school snack for older children. We, as parents/caregivers, also need to snack to maintain our energy throughout the day. Often, these snacks need to be transportable as well. So, there are lots of factors to consider, and it is easy to get in a rut when it comes to thinking of easy snacks that will still offer good nutritional value to growing and active bodies.
Moving beyond pre-packaged snacks:
It is tempting to rely only on pre-packaged snacks, but with some planning it is easy to come up with great alternatives that will add variety, increase nutritional value, save money, and allow you to balance out your snack routine.
Just like with meal planning, the key to having healthy snacks ready for your family is to follow the same steps:
1. Make a list of your family’s favorite snack foods (or foods you can make into snacks).
2. Stock your pantry (and freezer and refrigerator) with these items.
3. Post the list for easy reminders for the family to check when they are hungry or when you are packing bags for the car and outings.
Offer variety
We usually focus on trying to get different “food groups” on a plate for mealtimes, but it isn’t a bad idea to think similarly for snacking. Ellyn Satter, a registered dietitian and author of Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family, recommends choosing one item that is a carbohydrate or fat, and one that is a protein. I try to think of that when picking snacks for my kids. This is something we probably do a lot instinctively (e.g. crackers and cheese, granola with yogurt, a nut or seed butter with toast, etc…), but a good reminder for snack time.
Serve it in a new way
For younger kids, a good way to add variety to snacks is simply serving up the same items in new, fun ways. For kids that are old enough, for example, you could serve cut up fruit on a skewer, or have kids pick up fruit or cheese with fancy toothpicks. Pieces of toast with a nut or seed butter could be cut into fun shapes with a cookie cutter you already have on hand. Make sandwiches out of crackers with various fillings like cream cheese and fruit or jelly.
Ten Healthy Snack Ideas*
*Beyond the usual snack items (like fruit, cheese, crackers, pretzels, etc…)
- Hummus with raw veggies and pita bread.
- Fruit smoothies.
- Themed snack plates like a “Mediterranean” snack plate with crackers, cheese, olives, and grape or cherry tomatoes.
- Mini muffins: bran, carrot, blueberry or slices of quick breads like banana, pumpkin, zucchini or cranberry bread.
- Plain yogurt with a variety of toppings: granola, honey, jam, fresh fruit, berries, dried fruit, nuts.
- Hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs.
- Cubed proteins: chicken, ham, tofu, turkey, sausage.
- Cold or room temperature roasted vegetables and kale chips.
- Dried fruits with or without nuts for trail mix.
- Seasoned and roasted edamame or chickpeas.
Recipe: Ellie Krieger’s Pumpkin Pie Muffins
Another great resource for snack time is the freezer. In addition to items that you naturally store in the freezer (like frozen berries you can use in an easy smoothie), you can also make some things ahead of time and store them in the freezer, like quick-cooking breads and muffins. This Pumpkin Pie Muffin recipe is one our favorites. They aren’t too sweet, and pack a nutritional punch with the pumpkin. (You can also make them in mini-muffin pans by reducing the cooking time to about 10 minutes.)
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour or whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 cup unsalted raw pumpkin seeds
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda, salt, and spices.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, molasses, oil, and one of the eggs until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk, just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each one about two-thirds full, and sprinkle the surface of each with the pumpkin seeds. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Enjoy warm or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes 12 muffins
Copyright 2008 Ellie Krieger All rights reserved.
Ellie Krieger is a registered dietitian, with a master’s degree in nutrition. She’s a source of some of our favorite recipes and cookbooks. http://www.elliekrieger.com
I just remembered when I’d cut cheese into letters and numbers. It forced the kids to eat slowly while they were learning their letters and we had fun as they got older; they’d hold onto letters to see what words we could create.