Every mom wants to give her kids healthy snacks that will fill them up and keep them happy until the next planned meal. Try these tips for serving tasty and filling snacks in no time flat.
Tasty & filling
Instead of simply cutting up a piece of fruit or setting out a bowl of veggies, include healthy fat, lean protein and fiber in every snack-sized meal. Fat, protein and fiber add flavor to snack foods while slowing down the rate of digestion to help keep you full longer. When your kids get the urge to snack, identify one small, healthy item, such as baby carrots or a boiled egg, and supplement it with the fat, protein or fiber that it’s missing.
Fruity & delicious
Fruits are a healthy and easy way to start a snack, but most fruits lack fat and protein — so your kids may get hungry after an hour or two. Try these healthy and delicious fruit snack options with added fat and protein:
- Fresh peach slices with low-fat cottage cheese
- Apple slices dipped in peanut butter or almond butter
- Low-fat Greek yogurt mixed with fresh strawberries and blueberries
- A strawberry and banana smoothie made with low-fat vanilla yogurt
Crispy, crunchy veggies
Like fruits, vegetables are a great base for snack foods: they’re low-cal, high-fiber and filled with healthy nutrients. If your kids balk when you serve up veggies, don’t force them to eat veggies straight. Try these veggie-snack options to fill your kids up fast without the complaints:
- Cut-up veggies — carrots, celery and bell peppers — with hummus or plain Greek yogurt seasoned with salsa and vinegar
- A cup of tomato soup with low-fat cheddar cheese cubes
- Salsa with whole-grain chips and diced avocado
Lean, mean protein
Lean proteins such as eggs, chicken and nuts are filling all by themselves, but mixing them with a high-fiber vegetable or whole-grain cracker can give them lasting power. Try the following protein-rich snack options:
- Tuna salad on whole-grain crackers
- Bean and cheese burrito
- Mixed nuts and dried cranberries
- Half a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread
How to make a fruit smoothie
Learn how to create a delicious and healthy fruit smoothie with this tutorial.
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