My Picks – Healthy Snacks for Kids

 

Healthy food is not always accessible away from home, so here’s what you need to look for when choosing healthy snacks for your kids on the go. When sending your kids to school, snacks should be well thought out. In fact, it’s a good idea for children to graze every few hours to keep their blood sugar stable and energy levels up. Don’t worry too much about them not having room for lunch or dinner. This is especially the case for toddlers, since they often get fussy at meal times. Feeding nourishing snacks prevent kids from going hungry if they get picky about what’s being served at school or at home that day.

Importance of Healthy Snacks for Kids

The quality of what children eat between meals makes a big difference. Snack time is not just about giving kids something tasty to hold them over until the next meal. There are plenty of non healthy snacks for kids that are bad ideas such as cookies, crackers, toaster pastries, muffins etc. Most of them are highly processed, have high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and dyes. Even many breakfast cereals can have more sugar than feeding your little ones sugar glazed donuts. Get into the habit of reading nutritional labels before sending your child off with these foods. The best option for healthy snacks for kids is to do your shopping at a health food store. Whole FoodsTrader Joes or a specialty grocery such as Fairway have a variety of natural foods that you can feel more comfortable about.

My Picks

Here are some of my picks for healthy snacks that are great for school or on the go:

• Apple or pear slices with string cheese
• Plain or low-fat Greek yogurt with sliced bananas or berries
• Cottage cheese with cut up melon
• Chopped cucumbers, carrots, peppers or tomatoes with hummus
• High fiber cereal or granola with no added sugar
• Graham crackers with apple sauce
• Hard boiled eggs
• Gluten free bread with sunflower butter (peanut free)

Brands for Kids with Allergies

Fresh foods are always better than packaged snacks, but kids want to feel like they’re getting a treat every so often. These brands can work with children who have nut allergies, food allergies and gluten sensitivities:

Enjoy Life
Tiger Nuts (Nut Free)
Pirate Brands
Earth’s Best Organic
Popcorners

For more healthy snack ideas you can get a copy of my book The Food Cure For Kids.