Snack Tips for Children

Snack Tips for Children:
• Plan snacks with your child and allow for some choices.
• When shopping, let children help pick out fruits, vegetables, and cheeses for snacks. They will be more interested in eating these foods if they have been involved in selecting them.
• Set aside a "snack spot" in the refrigerator and cupboard; keep it stocked with nutritious, ready-to-eat snacks. Then let your child pack their own snack for the day.
• Avoid high sugar, fatty and salty snacks.
• Plan snacks to help meet the suggested number of servings per day from the Food Guide Pyramid.
• Never offer junk food as a reward for good behavior.
• Ask your child if they see others eating snacks that they might like.
• Offer a special "surprise snack" once in a while.
• Write an "I love you" note and slip it into your child's snack bag!

Here are some quick and easy snack ideas for you to try. Enjoy!
• English muffin pizzas with pineapple or tomato slice, mushrooms, etc.
• Baked potatoes with chili beans or broccoli and cheese.
• Waffles topped with fresh fruit. Choose fruits that are in season.
• Tortillas and beans.
• Yogurt and fruit topped with cereal (yogurt sundaes).
• Raw vegetables cut into slices or sticks with a yogurt dip. (Mix your favorite dry salad dressing mix into plain yogurt to make a great tasting low-fat dip!)
• Trail mix made with several types of cereal, dried fruit and nuts or sunflower seeds.
• Yogurt grahams. (Spread fruit-flavored yogurt on a graham cracker square, top with a second square. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.)
There are a lot of old favorites like veggie sticks, fresh fruit, cheese cubes, crackers, and yogurt which make wonderful economical snacks. The following are also healthy snacks that are prepackaged and easy to pop into school lunch bags.

- breakfast bars
- mini rice cakes
- non-sugar coated cereals (corn bran, shreddies, mini wheats)
- mini bagels
- pretzels
- mini carrots with dip
- vegetable juice boxes
- salsa and crackers
- individual fruit cups
- individual applesauce
- fruit juice boxes
- bread sticks
- mini muffins
- popcorn (little or no butter)
- homemade Nuts & Bolts (see recipe below)
- cookies (graham wafers, Newton bars, animal crackers, oatmeal, social teas, arrowroot)


Meat and Alternatives/Milk Products
- sunflower/pumpkins seeds
- trail mix
- peanutbutter & crackers
- hummus
- mini cheese portions
- milk/milkshakes in drinking boxes
- individual puddings and yogurts
- yogurt beverages

Nuts & Bolts Recipe:
6 cups Crispex cereal
2 cups each Cheerios, Shreddies cereals and pretzels
1 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
4 tbsp. vegetable oil
8 tsp. any dry dressing or dip mix
In a large roast pan gently mix cereals, pretzels and sunflower seeds with oil until well coated. Bake at 250°F for 20 minutes stirring after 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Add the dry mix and stir until cereal is well coated with mix. Store in an airtight container.



Pizza/Best Choice
No extra cheese, ham instead of pepperoni or bacon, load up on veggies.

Sub Sandwiches/Best Choice
Whole wheat buns, plenty of vegetables, limited mayonnaise and special sauce, choose ham, turkey, roast beef most often.

Soups/Best Choice
Vegetable soups with lots of vegetables for fiber, dried beans for protein, pasta/rice for extra grains, cream soups made with milk. Serve with whole wheat rolls.

• Raw vegetables, such as celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, green pepper, green beans, cucumbers, mushrooms or zucchini served with a low-fat dip.
• Fresh fruit in season - cut in slices or halves, such as apples, oranges, bananas, peaches, grapefruit, grapes, melons, pears, plums or strawberries.
• Low-fat quick breads and muffins, such as pumpkin, zucchini, banana or bran.
• Non-sugared cereals, snack mixes made with popcorn and whole grain cereal.
• Granola mixes
• Dried fruits
• Bagels
• Crackers with cheese
• Popcorn or pretzels
• Rice Cakes
• Yogurt
• Goldfish