Healthy Snack Ideas

Children may need snacks to help them get enough calories (energy) thoughout the day.  So, choosing healthy foods that add nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, to their diets is essential.

QUICK AND NUTRITIOUS SNACK IDEAS:

• Raw vegetables with low-fat yogurt dip, cottage cheese or hummus.
• Baby carrots
• Celery sticks
• Cucumber slices
• Apples and cheese – pears and other fresh fruits work too
• Snack-size applesauce
• Frozen fruit bars
• Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
• 100% fruit juice box

DAIRY           

• String cheese and fruit
• Milk or yogurt smoothies with juice and sliced bananas or strawberries
• Low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt with fruit (fresh or canned)
• Low-fat ice cream or low-fat frozen yogurt with fresh fruit
• Fat-free or 1% milk
• Fat-free or 1% flavored milk (chocolate or strawberry)

GRAINS

• Whole-grain crackers with cheese or peanut butter
• Whole-grain cereal with milk
• Flavored rice cakes (like caramel or apple cinnamon), with peanut butter
• Baked potato chips or tortilla chips with salsa
• Popcorn – air popped
• Pretzel sticks and a glass of milk
• Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, graham crackers, animal crackers fig bars or raisins and a glass of milk

Visit www.mealsmatter.org for FREE tips, interactive nutrition, assessment tools, easy-to-prepare recipes, meal suggestions and more.

For great source of information and ideas for snacks for you and your child, try www.snackwise.com.

Watch for more informational updates.