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Nutri itious Snacks S For Kid ds

Nutritious s snacks for kids k is tough, especially so, s if they hav ve a sweet to ooth. This ca an be a deter rrent in getting children to eat e healthy. Obesity O has become b a ma ajor concern for most par rents, and the e reason be ehind the pro oblem is the way w kids eat and all the u unhealthy foo ods they cons sume. As pa arents we often concentrate on the food that t our kids eat during m meal times (e eat your greens, drink you ur milk, finis sh your pasta a - sound fam miliar?) but, we w tend to ne glect what go oes into their r mouth in between. A bag of chi ips or a glass s of cola or th hat left over p pastry! But, that doesn't mean kids have to t avoid snac cking - nutritiious snacks f for kids, with yummy taste e and zero guilt t is possible!

Help kids mak ke healthy snac ck choices

Nutritio ous Snacks For Kids s Need No ot Be Scary y!


Snack tim me is a very important par rt of a child's daily nutritio ous food intak ke. Kids need to eat more e because of their grow wing bodies. So, S it become es even more e important f for us, as par rents, to help p our children make m healthy y snack choic ces. Below are some hea althy snacks c choices you can give the kids at any tim me. They not only offer gre eat nutritiona al value, they y are snacks you don't ha ave to feel gu uilty about.

Carrot Cake C
Yes, you heard it right t. Cake! If, you ha ave been avo oiding cakes due d to its hig gh sugar and fat content t try the low-fa at, low-sugar version of the carrot cake. c Carrots s make this cake healthie r compared t to a traditiona al cake. Take e

your tradi itional carrot cake recipe. . Pour less oil into the cak ke batter and d since, the c cake needs to o be a bit mois st upon cooking, use non-fat buttermilk with some pineapples iinto the mix! Have it as dessert after a your mea al or in betwe een.

Yogurt
Yogurt is an all time fa avorite for kid ds & adults. Frozen F yogu rt tastes almost as yumm my as ice-crea am! You can buy b flavored yogurt in you ur child's favorite flavor, s so it tastes lik ke pudding o or cheeseca ake.Greek yo ogurt is the best but, child dren can affo rd to have th he full fat vers sion of yogur rt too. The bene efits of yogurt t are many;

It off fers importan nt "probiotics" that keep good g bacteria a in the diges stive system and eliminat tes the bad. b It off fers importan nt calcium for r growing bones. It is lower in calo ories compare ed to other snacks s It is easy for kids s to grab any ytime they wa ant a good sn nack. But best of all, it tastes good. .

Yogurt ca an be eaten on o its own or r with fruit top ppings like be erries (like blueberries, st trawberries) o or crumble some s cracker on top. Mix x and match to t add some variety and t texture.

Nutritious sna acks for kids ca an be fun!

Fruit
This is one food category that you and your kids can enjoy to your heart's content. You would have to eat a boat load of fruit for it to be considered unhealthy! Pick a couple of fruits your child loves, put it on a skewer and freeze it for yummy fruit kebabs! Sprinkle some cinnamon on it for fun. You can even get your kids to join in - let them pick the fruits, you cut them and let them skewer it. Fruits can instantly satisfy any level of sweet craving. Intense sweet craving? Try a pineapple or mango.

Sorbet
Sorbets are a close cousin of ice cream. Its frozen fruit juice or sweetened water flavored with fruit. They generally have less added fat. Nutritious if, you make them with fruit juice and wonderful since, you get to eat something cold & sweet just like ice-cream. The common Popsicle is also a good choice as a low-calorie snack, as it's mostly made of frozen water with some flavoring so it's remarkably similar to a sorbet but in stick form. Here is a fun activity that my son & dad do on particularly hot days. Make lemonade, pour it into Popsicle trays and pop it into the freezer for a few hours. Take it out and you have your own, homemade, cool Popsicle ready! You can get Popsicle trays, complete with the stick, from any local supermarket near you. Of course, you can switch the lemonade with any fruit juice that you like.

Healthy Trail Mix


Healthy trail mix can be tasty and easily made at home. Mix in nuts (beware, avoid this if, your child is allergic to nuts), dried fruits, pretzels, m&m - basically, any dry, finger snack that your child loves. Balance the quantity of the various ingredients of the trail mix based on how nutritious it is - go low on the high fat ones and high on the healthy ones. If, you are using nuts you can even bake the trail mix so that, the whole mixture gets a nice nutty flavor and aroma. Be sure you use portion control. You must divide this into one size portions and place in individual bags. This will keep your kids from overeating.

Graham Crackers with Yummy Toppings


Graham crackers is a great kid snack option on its own. But you can add fresh fruit, a bit of yogurt, peanut butter, string cheese and more, to make it even more healthy and nutritious. Go ahead and put a small dollop of ice cream for some fun. Graham crackers even make great refrigerator cakes. Just spread yogurt or low fat ice cream and refrigerate.

Low Fat Grocery Store Buys


There are lots of low fat options in your local grocery store too. You just have to look around. Choose low fat pudding mixes, ice-creams and Jell-O as a sweet snack option when your family

craves something sweet but want to avoid the high calories. You will also find many snacks in small, 100 calorie packets.

To Conclude..Absolutely No Guilt.
Whatever your kids like best,if, its unhealthy, empty calories, you can probably find a healthy lowcalorie snack option they love, to switch it with. All you have to do is look for a few good recipes or products in your local grocery store. So keep an eye out for those healthy snacks your kids will love just as much as potato chips and store bought cookies. Remember, to also treat your kids once in a while to those sinful treats they love. My son & I decide which "junk food" to have this week and go out on Saturdays and have it. No guilt. This will give them a clear message that, healthy lifestyle needn't mean depriving your self of what you love. It means knowing what is good - its OK, to have that chocolate fudge once in a while - provided it IS only once in a while. Best of both worlds, you see. And, very important, ensure that your child has enrolled for at least one, strenuous, physical activity like soccer, dancing, athletics. Extraordinary healthy snack ideas, that's what you'll find with a little bit of looking around, preparation and planning.

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