Good eating habits start at home, and the sooner you start kids on a healthy path, the better. If you’re worried that healthy snacks are getting passed over in favor of junk, don’t give up! With these fun, healthy snack recipes and a healthy dose of patience, you can turn that trend around. Post them to your fridge so babysitters and nannies can foster healthy eating habits in your kiddos!
“We know that if kids touch foods, cook them and taste new foods, they will be excited about eating them. They now have ownership over the dish and are naturally curious to try them,” says Ann Butler, founder of Edible Education in Richmond, Virginia. Butler teaches kids how to cook and eat healthy through her summer C.H.E.F. camps and enrichment classes. She adds that “young children need to see new foods up to 11 times on their plates until they realize, ‘Hmm, this is what my family eats, I guess I will, too.'”
Here are 11 healthy snack recipes for kids to try to spark their interest in some good stuff:
1. Easy, healthy nachos
Yes, they do exist.
Ingredients
- A handful of whole wheat tortilla chips
- 1/4 cup black beans
- 1/4 cup low-fat cheese
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 2 tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp. guacamole
Directions:
- Preheat oven to low broil.
- Layer tortilla chips, beans and cheese in a pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Remove once cheese is melted. Top with salsa, yogurt and guacamole.
- Enjoy!
2. Apple quesadillas
You can sell them to your hungry hordes as “Queso with a crunch.” (No one can turn down queso!)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 whole wheat quesadilla tortilla
- Handful of shredded cheddar cheese
- 6-8 thin apple slices
Directions
- Melt the butter in a skillet. Lay a flour tortilla in the pan and top one half of it with grated cheese (reserving a little extra cheese).
- Place the apple slices in the slightly melted cheese and let settle. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and fold the tortilla in half. Cook until golden on both sides.
- Cut into wedges and serve.
3. Protein parfait
“Parfait” means “perfect” in French, which is appropriate since this is the perfect after-school snack!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of fresh berries
- 1 cup low-fat, high protein and fiber granola
- Honey
Directions
- Layer these ingredients (minus the honey), one at a time: Start with the yogurt, add berries on top, sprinkle granola and repeat.
- Drizzle honey on top.
4. Apple sandwiches
This fun, simple apple sandwiches recipe from Caramel Potatoes combines apples with protein-packed peanut butter to make a great afternoon snack that keeps kids full until dinner.
5. Strawberry smoothie
This yummy strawberry smoothie from One Sweet Appetite uses Greek yogurt, which has more protein than regular yogurt and is easier to digest for little ones.
6. Garlic and parmesan kale chips
These garlic and parmesan kale chips — a great potato chip alternative — come from Lauren Allen, food and recipe blogger at Tastes Better From Scratch. Allen believes healthy eating starts with you! Set a good example for your kids by having a healthy diet yourself, she says. “If you don’t buy unhealthy, processed snacks and treats, then you won’t be tempted to give them to your kids,” she advises. Making your own chips is easier than you think — Allen’s recipe only takes 15 minutes of prep. Kale is high in fiber and a great source of vitamins A, K, C and E, as well as calcium.
7. Homemade granola bars
An easy-to-make granola bar recipe from Raise Healthy Eaters, this one comes highly recommended by Maryann Jacobsen, a registered dietitian and mom, who finds these snacks a great alternative to chocolate chip cookies. These bars are easy to customize and don’t have the added chemicals and preservatives of store-bought ones.
8. Apple raisin snack wraps
This apple raisin snack wraps recipe from Frugal Family Favorites is easy on the budget, proving you don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat healthier.
9. Popcorn trail mix
This simple popcorn trail mix recipe from Inspired Edibles satisfies kids with the munchies. With added nuts and dried fruit, it turns a naturally light snack into one full of protein and vitamins.
10. Baked cinnamon apple chips
This delicious baked cinnamon apple chips recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes is perfect for kids who won’t eat apples raw but love them baked to perfection.
11. Sandwich kabobs
A creative recipe from I Wash … You Dry, these sandwich kabobs are a fun twist on the turkey sandwich and cover most of the basic food groups.
Getting your child to eat healthier may not happen overnight, so don’t toss a recipe out if it isn’t a big hit the first time. As Butler notes, repeated exposure to a new food is the key to getting them to make it part of their repertoire.
Clarissa Harper is a freelance writer who lives in Richmond, Va., with her husband and three boys. She loves to write about parenting, family and anything craft related.
