Last week I wrote about the importance of providing children with regular meals and snacks. Now it’s time to discuss the making of a healthy snack. Remember, eating between meals not only helps children meet their nutrition needs; it provides a bridge to the next meal.
The goal is to make a snack more like a mini meal. That means including a balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat (who has a meal with just starch or protein?) to help manage hunger and satisfy. So check out the food combinations below – it just might inspire you to come up with your own ideas.
1. Yogurt AND nuts, fruit or cereal. Yogurt is a great food for kids and even better when you add sliced almonds, fresh fruit or whole grain cereal. Look for yogurts with the Live and Active culture seal.
2. Whole wheat crackers AND cheese or peanut butter. One of my favorite cracker brands is Kashi’s TLC Original 7 Grain. It is great with cubed cheddar, a mozzarella cheese stick or even some peanut butter. Remember that peanut butter is a chocking hazard so use with caution and spread thin.
