A healthy snack—when your munchkins have the munchies!

With childhood obesity rates where they are, it’s important to teach your kids how to make healthy choices, and what better way than to teach them to make nutritious snacks that are easy and delicious!

The first step is setting aside a low cabinet or low refrigerator shelf where kids can access food to make snacks on their own.  As school and sports begin to once again crowd your family’s schedule, you could also make some simple homemade granola bars or trail mix for a convenient, on-the-go snack for your busy bees.

Here are some great, easy recipes for kids to make on their own:

1.  Vegetables and Dip – Keep washed and prepared veggies in a low drawer in your refrigerator with small containers of low-fat dip.

Shopping List: baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, ranch dip

1. Fruit and Cheese Kabobs – These are a great snack that will keep the younger kids busy while they hone in on their fine motor skills.  Keep bowls of cut up fruit and cheese cubes so the kids only have to thread them on the kabob.

Shopping List: Pineapple, apples (dip in orange juice so they don’t brown), strawberries, grapes, cheese cubes, wooden kabob sticks

1. Yogurt Parfaits – Save money and calories by making your own sweet treat!  Plain yogurt sweetened with fresh fruit and sprinkled with some granola is a colorful, tasty treat that is healthy as well.

Shopping List: plain yogurt, granola, fruit, frozen or fresh berries

1. Ants on a Log – Celery sticks filled peanut butter and raisins are a good source of protein.  Peanut butter can get messy for younger children, so you may consider putting peanut butter in an icing bag (a plastic bag with the corner snipped).  They can pipe the peanut butter right on to the celery without making a mess.

Shopping List: celery sticks, peanut butter, raisins

1. Cinnamon or Peanut Butter Toast – Learning to use the toaster is a great cooking lesson for your child.  Whole grain bread with peanut butter or lightly buttered with cinnamon and a tiny bit of sugar is a great snack that easily introduces children to the kitchen.

Shopping List: bread, peanut butter, cinnamon and sugar

1. Microwave Pizza – Older kids can use pita bread, sauce, cheese, and toppings to make a healthy microwave pizza themselves.  You may consider trying it yourself ahead of time to see how long it takes to melt the cheese.  You could even post a chart with the cooking times for some of their favorite snacks so they have it for future reference.

Shopping List: pita bread, pizza sauce, pizza cheese, pizza toppings

Letting your kids make their own snacks and encouraging them to help cook dinners is a great way for them to learn healthy habits and portion sizes while spending quality time together as a family.  Here are some other fun ways to involve your kids in the kitchen!

Want to expand the conversation from just making healthy snacks to balanced meals? If you don’t have a MyPlate plate already from Fort HealthCare Pediatrics, be sure to get one at your child’s next Well Child exam! The plates are easy to use and fun for kids to develop their meal planning skills while paying attention to portion sizes.