I have gotten a lot of requests lately for a post about healthy snacks for kids-  so here it is!

When it comes to kids and snacks most parents want two things: quick and healthy. As parents and guardians we know that often quick and healthy snacks are 1) hard to come by and 2) not always something your kids will eat. I’m going to share a few tricks that I use to make the battle of the snack a little less difficult.

• Hungry kids are crabby kids. It’s important to have snacks ready to go so that you don’t resort to feeding your children junk. Just like your meal planning, snacks require a few minutes of preparation. Having healthy options ready when you’re monsters come home from school will save you tons of unnecessary stress.

• Kids are tiny individuals. They like to make their own decisions whether it be what they’re wearing to school or what they want to eat. This is where choice becomes so important. Your child is way more likely to eat something that they’ve “chosen” over something you tell them to eat. We need to give our kids healthy options. The sneaky part here is that all the options you give are healthy ones; they just need to pick their favourite.  You’re so smart!

• Letting them make their own snacks (providing they are old enough to do so) is also a great way to promote independence and takes some of the stress of preparing snacks off of you. The only thing you need to do is make healthy food accessible. Keep cut up veggies on the bottom shelf of your fridge or use some of your lower cupboards to keep homemade granola bars or baked whole wheat crackers. If you provide “snack zones” for them, they will recognize that this area is full of food just for them and they can help themselves to it!

• My son will eat anything if he can dip it. Seriously. He dips everything. I don’t know why kids love it so much but they do! All I need to do is provide healthy dips. Hummus is an awesome dip for veggies or crackers. It’s filled with protein and takes two seconds to make yourself. Kids can help too which makes them even more likely to eat it! I’ll add a recipe for great homemade hummus at the bottom of the post for you. Salsa is also a great healthy dip option that you can prepare yourself, as is plain yogurt with a touch of honey.

Tip of the Blog!!

Get creative – tell them they’re eating superhero-dinosaur dip! Cut up some fruit and make your very own kabobs. Cookie cutters are a great tool for adding fun shapes to your snacks. Older kids might enjoy making their own veggie pizzas on small pita bread or making fruit smoothies. Do whatever works for you!

Easy Homemade Hummus

-2 garlic cloves

-1 large can of chickpeas

-1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-1 tablespoon tahini paste/ sesame paste (optional)

-juice from 1/2 lemon

-1/3 cup liquids from chickpea can

-salt andpepper to taste

1. In a food processor, first of all chop garlic.

2. After garlic is chopped add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and then add the rest of ingredients and liquids.

3. Chop well until everything becomes a paste. Scoop out your hummus into a dish and drizzle remaining oil on top.

Do you have any tips that you can share with me? What kinds of healthy snacks are a favourite in your home?

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Image from holyhummus.com