We all know it’s essential for kids to eat three nutritious meals per day, but it’s easy to overlook the importance of snacks in your child’s diet. “Snacks keep kids focused longer and give them the energy to get through the day,” says registered dietitian Stephanie Joyce, a national nutrition advisor for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.
Growing kids always seem to be hungry, and the search for easy snack recipes can be constant. The number of snacks your children consume each day will depend on their age (smaller children typically need to eat more frequently) and activity level (active kids need to eat more). Registered dietitian and nutritionist Angela Lemond, a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests offering kids a snack if there will be more than four hours between meals. “We don’t mean mindless snacking while they’re watching TV,” says Lemond. “We’re talking about purposeful eating — sitting at the table and really tasting their food.”
Having these wholesome bites on hand will encourage your children to make healthy snack choices instead of reaching for a bag of chips.
Here are eight easy snack recipes you can make ahead of time for your kids to enjoy all week:
- No-Bake Sunflower Seed Bars
Lemond’s no-bake sunflower seed bars can be frozen and used as you need them. They’re free of top allergens, including peanuts and tree nuts as well as wheat and dairy, so they’re a safe choice for most kids. And with dried cranberries and rice cereal in addition to the sunflower seeds, they surpass Lemond’s suggestion that snacks contain foods from at least two categories from the United States Department of Agriculture’s My Plate guidelines.
- Trail Mix
Making your own trail mix is super easy and quick. Just combine your kids’ favorite ingredients — such as popcorn, nuts, raisins, dried fruits, pretzels and chocolate chips — and you’ve got yourself a healthy and delicious snack that can keep all week (if it lasts that long!).
- Frozen Chocolate-Covered Bananas
For a cold, healthy treat, whip up a batch of these chocolate-covered bananas from Joy the Baker and put them in an airtight container in the freezer. They take only minutes to prepare, can be frozen for the entire week, and are easy for nannies to whip out without much thought.
- Zucchini Bran Muffins
You might think of muffins as junk food, but these kid-tested mini zucchini bran muffins from Super Healthy Kids contain a veggie (shredded zucchini), a fruit (applesauce) and fiber-packed bran. They also freeze well!
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
These chewy chocolate chip granola bars from Once Upon a Chef are a perfect snack for busy moms to whip up because they are no-bake and take only 10 minutes to make. Plus, they’re versatile — you can substitute raisins or cranberries for chocolate chips or sunflower seeds for almonds. Store them in the fridge in an airtight container with parchment paper or foil between layers.
- Energy Balls
These energy balls from Snack Girl are another great no-bake treat that are quick to make and can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. (Or you can make a double batch and freeze some.) They are also customizable — you can use your choice of dried fruit and nut butter and mix them with almonds, toasted granola and water.
- Brown Rice Cereal Treats
Rice cereal treats are a gooey favorite for kids (and grown-ups), but they’re not exactly the most wholesome snack. That’s why this healthy version from Weelicious is so great. It uses only four ingredients — organic crispy brown rice cereal, rice syrup, peanut butter and almond butter — and takes minutes to make.
- Baked Apple Chips
These crunchy apple chips from Momables use only three ingredients: apples, apple juice and a cinnamon stick. Plus, they’re baked, making them a healthy alternative to potato chips. Serve them with some carrot sticks or a low-fat cheese stick to hit another food category.
With these delicious and easy snack recipes in your arsenal, your kids won’t even realize that what they’re eating is actually good for them.
Want more snack ideas? Check out these 10 Healthy Snack Recipes.
Jennifer Marino Walters is a Washington, D.C.-based writer specializing in children’s and parenting topics. A mother of three, she also blogs at Double Duty Twins.
