The Best Nutritious Snacks for Kids
Here is a list of kid-friendly snacks that are both healthy and delicious.
- Yogurt. Yogurt is an excellent snack for kids because it’s a good source of protein and calcium, and it may enhance healthy gut bacteria. Health benefits range from protecting against osteoporosis to relieving irritable bowel disease and aiding digestion, but these depend on the type of yogurt consumed. Added sugar and processing can make some yogurt products unhealthy.
- Popcorn. Air-popped and eaten plain, popcorn is a healthy whole grain food that is low in calories (about 30 calories per cup) and high in fibre (about 1g per cup), especially when compared to snacks like crisps. … But oil-popped and flavoured popcorn is a different story.
- Celery with peanut butter and raisins. The name of this nostalgic snack requires you to use your imagination a bit – as in raisin “ants” walking up a peanut butter filled celery “log”. With the benefits of protein from the peanut butter and fiber from the raisins, this is the perfect crunchy afternoon snack for kids and adults alike.
- Nuts. In general, nuts are good sources of fat, fiber and protein. Most of the fat in nuts is monounsaturated fat, as well as omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fat. However, they do contain some saturated fat. Nuts also pack a number of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium and vitamin E.
- Trail mix. Eating a healthy daily portion size of nuts and dried fruits delivers a nutritious dose of antioxidants, protein, unsaturated fats, fiber, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and other vitamins and nutrients essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
- Oatmeal. Oatmeal is a great healthy breakfast staple, but we might be sabotaging our diets. Our friends at YouBeauty have the scoop… … Oatmeal is packed with soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol. In fact, having 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides six grams of fiber.
I am a fan of popcorn and topping this low-calorie snack with coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt.
Jessica Alba
Bottom Line
Many kids get hungry between meals.
A healthy snack can provide your kids with energy and help them get the nutrients they need on a daily basis.
Offer your kids whole, unprocessed foods at snack time instead of prepackaged snack foods.
