Healthy Snack Ideas For Back To School

Busy families sometimes have trouble fitting in three healthy meals each day. Take extra care to make certain your child’s snacks are every bit as healthful as the meals you serve. The easiest way to do this is to use the same guidelines for snack planning as for meal planning. Many healthy, convenient options can be found within the Power Plate – fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

• Apple slices with nut butter
• Fresh fruits
• Dried fruits, especially raisins
• Applesauce or other fruit cups
• Nuts, especially mixed with dried fruit
• Soy yogurt
• Individual boxes of soymilk, rice milk, or fruit juices
• Breadsticks or pita chips with hummus
• Pretzels or popcorn
• Homemade muffins or cornbread
• Ramen soup with added vegetables
• Fresh soybeans (edamame)
• Tofu hot dogs
• Tortilla chips with bean dip
• Cheerios, granola, or other cereal in a bag
• Toasted whole-grain breads or crackers with fruit spread or nut butters
• Graham crackers or gingersnaps dipped in applesauce
• Mini rice cakes with peanut butter
• Frozen bananas blended with a little non-dairy milk
• Chopped raw vegetables and dip

Pack in as much fiber as possible with fresh fruits and vegetables, and include low-fat dairy like Greek yogurt. This kind of snack is also a good idea if you don’t want your kid to overeat in between meals (get more information about babies first food!). Researchers have found that children who snacked on a mix of vegetables and cheese needed much fewer calories to feel full than those who snacked on plain old potato chips. Being creative when it comes to expanding the snack menu doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.