Have you ever heard the statistic that children consume almost 25% of their daily energy intake through snacking? It makes sense, of course. Kids have smaller stomachs to begin with, making it impossible for them to consume as much as an adult at mealtimes. But let's face it, it's often a struggle to make sure your child's snacks are hitting the same nutritional heights as they do at mealtime, especially when families are often on-the-go.
Kids love to eat with their fingers so take advantage of this by serving a snack of raw veggies or fruit with favorite dips. Some ideas for dipping include: applesauce or apple butter, cream cheese, guacamole or mashed avocado, barbecue sauce, hummus, tomato or meat sauce, and the perennial favorite, peanut butter.
Dress up bite-size fruits and vegetables with cocktail toothpicks and present them as if they were for an adult dinner party. Serve them in a muffin tin or an ice cube tray for a fun change of pace.
Cut up small pieces of cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, or other fruit and put them in an ice cream cone.
- Apple slices coated with cinnamon-sugar or parmesan cheese
- A bagel or English muffin with topping-pizza, cheese, fruit, or even baby food
- A peeled banana frozen on a ice-pop stick
- A hard-boiled egg or egg whites
- Frozen yogurt topped with fruit and nuts
- Graham crackers
- Milkshakes and fruit smoothies
- A peanut butter lollipop (peanut butter on a spoon)
- Popcorn (topped with cinnamon or parmesan cheese instead of butter)
- Homemade ice-pops made from frozen juice
- Rice or popcorn cakes
- Finger sandwiches
- A snack mix that includes nuts, pretzels, cereal, and dried fruit
- Sunflower and pumpkin seeds
- Yogurt or cottage cheese, or drinkable yogurt with a straw