When it comes to making sure your kids eat healthily, it can feel like you are constantly fighting an uphill battle. Your role can go from authority figure to negotiator, to absolutely begging them to eat something that’s nutritious. This is a daily challenge most parents are familiar with, and children certainly do not make it easy.
As they grow, children may need more snacks between meals than we do as adults. Unfortunately, many popular snacks have added sugars, refined sugars, and artificial ingredients. However, you can look at snack time as a chance to provide your children with extra nutrients by finding healthy snacks for kids. It is important to establish good eating habits and to make sure they understand why some snacks are better than others. Here, we have seven healthy snacks that you can pack in your kid’s lunch box for convenience.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the most obvious choice when it comes to choosing healthy snacks for kids. They are full of good nutrients like fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C, along with other vitamins and minerals. There are also so many different kinds of fruit out there, so even if your child doesn’t like one, you can offer them something else. Try berries or cut mangoes, pineapples, or cantaloupes. VNA’s wellness program teaches about eating the rainbow. This is a fun way to learn the importance of adding fruits and vegetables of all different colors as they each contain different nutrients that are good for different parts of your body.
Yogurt
One of the best healthy snacks for kids is yogurt. It provides protein and calcium, which can help your children develop healthy bones. The digestive system also benefits from yogurt due to the live bacteria found in it. Go for plain, full-fat yogurt and add a touch of honey or fresh fruit to give it more flavor, and avoid yogurt with added sugar where possible.
Oatmeal
You may think that oatmeal is strictly for breakfast, but it can actually make a great snack. Oats, in general, are high in fiber which helps your digestive tract, along with other added benefits. Make oatmeal with whole, rolled oats, and even add some cinnamon or other spices for flavor. Apples, bananas, blueberries, and other fruits are also great additions. Making oatmeal with milk instead of water can also take this healthy snack up a notch or can be avoided if your child needs to reduce calories.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a quick and high-protein snack that is highly nutritious. Eggs can support proper brain development and eye health in kids. They have many different vitamins, such as B12, selenium, and riboflavin. Hard-boiled eggs are quick to make and store well. Keeping hard-boiled eggs in the fridge means a healthy snack choice is available at any time.
Cheese Sticks
Cheese and other dairy products are good sources of protein and calcium and can be a fun snack to add to a child’s lunch box that they will enjoy and will also provide nutritional benefits
Trail Mix
This healthy snack is great to eat on the go. Caution, trail mix usually contains nuts, which can be dangerous for kids with nut allergies. You might even want to make your trail mix at home with mixed nuts, whole-grain cereal, and dried fruit, as store-bought ones can contain chocolate candies which can be unhealthy. You should also avoid taking trail mix to school if your child is in classes with children who may have a nut allergy.
Popcorn
When you think of popcorn, your mind often goes to getting it at the movies drenched in artificial butter. We think it must always be unhealthy, but it is not the case. Popcorn is a nutritious whole grain when eaten without an excessive amount of toppings. You can air-pop your popcorn and enjoy it plain, or drizzle a small amount of fresh butter and add spices on top. This is the best way to get some added flavor while still staying healthy. Your kids will not even realize they are eating healthy snacks for kids!
Have Questions? Call VNA Health Care
VNA Health Care is patient-centered Community Health Center. We are here to provide healthcare services for you and your children. Call us at (630) 593-7974 today for more information.