SUPER SNACKS

The first thing my daughter asks after she buckled herself in her booster seat when I pick her up after school is: “what snack do you have mom?”
Her days are long and energetic, longer than my early school days, as my mom was a stay at home mom who would welcome me home with a cup of tea or glass of juice with crackers or biscuits.

Now that Sarah is in kindergarten and with my full time job she’ll attend the “before” and “after” school programs, so I’ll pack some nice snacks for her. The challenge is that they need to stay fresh without significant cooling. There are a few things I keep in mind when shopping for snacks, not too salty and not too sweet, I don’t want to ruin her dinner appetite and I want the snacks to have some nutritional value.

If she eats one big carrot for example (not the small baby siz)) I don’t have to push so much for a vegetable during dinner, same with fresh endamame beans (Japanese snack), cherry tomatoes and cucumber. Fruits provide nutrition and help a sweet craving. So I often combine 3 items: a veggie, a fruit and a candy or cookie, the holy trinity so to say ;-) Even de candy and cookie can be made healthy, a natural fruit rollup or fruit bar, cookies with whole wheat, oatmeal and nuts are very much appreciated. Never do I let my daughter eat out of a bag, she is too young to control portions and I think it is a bad habit, creating mindless stuffing oneself.

Snacks that my daughter likes:
Nature’s path foods: Envirokidz Organic Crispy rice bar
Trader Joe's Organic brown Rice marshmallow Treats
Nabisco Garden Harvest, toasted chips, whole grain apple & vegetable medley
Baby biscuits banana
Pringle pizza sticks
Graham sticks
Archer Farms fruit bars and fruit strips (organic), no added sugars and 100% natural.
Fruitabu organic fruit roll ups
Quakes rice snacks

Other ideas:
When you want something sweet, try…
Home made or natural fruit smoothies, Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich, Yogurt Parfait with granola

When you want something salty, try…
Nachos topped with low fat cheese, Nut Butter Dip: Combine 1/4 cup of your favorite nut butter (such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter) with 1/4 cup water. Whip with a fork until smooth. Cut up carrots, celery, cucumbers, apples, bananas or other fresh product into spears and dip into the nut butter. peppers or onions, olives, broccoli or sliced tomatoes.

If you don’t have the time to make any of the recipes above but still want to snack healthy, there are some great packaged snacks available. Take a cruise down the natural-food aisle the next time you’re at the supermarket. There are plenty of low-fat, healthy and natural versions of your kids' favorites. Healthy snacks that don't need any prep work include:
Low-fat yogurt
Trail mix
Mixed nuts
Dried fruit
Fruit leather
Granola bars
Protein or energy bars
Fresh fruit
Low-fat string cheese
Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
Whole grain crackers with sliced low-fat cheese
Cottage cheese
Baby carrots with hummus
Air-popped popcorn
Whole wheat pita with black bean dip
Celery sticks with peanut butter
Canned tuna salad kits

It's good for kids and teens to snack, especially if they’re eating the right foods. Providing their growing bodies with a steady supply of nutrients is the key to staying healthy and energized. So snack on!