Healthy Snacks for Healthy Kids - 12 Quick, Easy, and Healthy Snacks

Healthy snacks promote healthy kids. Your children depend on you to learn healthy eating habits. Children are growing and developing rapidly. They have an increased need for energy, but they have small stomachs, so they need to eat healthy snacks between meals. Healthy snacks ensure your children get all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

Good snacks are nutrient dense. Soda and chips do not qualify as a nutrient dense snack. To ensure children are getting the right nutrients, choose a variety of foods from each of the food groups.

It is not time-consuming to provide healthy snacks for children. To gain your children’s support, involve them in purchasing and preparing the snacks. Toss all the empty calorie snacks in your home and replace them with these quick, easy, and healthy snacks from Lose the Lies Lose the Weight, http://www.losethelieslosetheweight.com by fitness lifestyle expert Laurie Bell.

Fruit Platter
On a colorful plate, arrange sliced apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, pineapple slices, and strawberries. To keep fruit from turning brown, dip it in orange juice. Serve with vanilla yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon. Variation: Serve with cottage cheese.

Homemade Snack Mix
Combine your choice of the following healthier ingredients: whole-grain cereal, sunflower seeds, cashews, pistachios, slivered almonds, shredded coconut, pine nuts, and popcorn.

Fresh Fruit Smoothies
Blend a banana, ¾ cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup low fat milk, and ½ cup low fat vanilla yogurt. Add ice and blend to desired consistency. Variation: Add 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder for a health food store.

Easy Quesadillas
On a whole-wheat tortilla, add shredded cheese, black beans, shredded chicken, and a small amount of low fat sour cream. Fold tortilla in half. Warm in the microwave on a glass plate. Cut into triangles. Serve with salsa.

Quartered Bagels
Cut a whole-grain bagel into quarters. Add cottage cheese or natural peanut butter.

Veggie Dips
On a colorful plate, arrange carrots, cauliflower, celery, snap peas, olives, and zucchini. Serve with low fat dip. By providing a variety of vegetables, your children will learn to enjoy them.

Apple Treasures
Peel and cut a large apple in half. Remove the core area. Add 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt. Mix in 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Deli Delight
On a colorful plate, arrange whole-grain crackers, low fat cheese, and skinless rotisserie turkey. (Avoid processed meat.)

Fruit Kabobs
Cut fresh fruit into small pieces. To keep fruit from turning brown, dip it in orange juice. Skewer onto pretzel sticks.

Baked Fries
Thoroughly wash two large potatoes. Slice into strips. Spray pan with nonstick cooking spray. Toss potato strips in 1 tablespoon olive oil mixed with 1 tsp. salt or no-salt seasoning. Bake at 340 degrees for 20 minutes.

Banana Dips
Peel and cut a banana in half. Insert a craft stick. Roll in crushed cereal. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Freeze in airtight container.

Pizza Muffins
Let children create their own muffins. Buy whole-grain English muffins. Add sauce, cheese, and child’s favorite healthy toppings. Bake until lightly toasted.

Healthy snacks promote healthy kids. Learning to enjoy healthy snacks will encourage your children to develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime.

About the Author
Laurie Bell, BS is a two-time bodybuilding champion, weight loss coach, fitness writer, 42-year-old mother, and the author of Lose the Lies, Lose the Weight, http://www.losethelieslosetheweight.com, a comprehensive resource covering weight loss motivation, fitness, nutrition, and body shaping workouts. For everything you need to lose weight, tone, firm, and sculpt your body, read Lose the Lies Lose the Weight. No hype. No fad diets. No excuses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com