How to make quick and healthy snacks for kids

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting with loads of awesome moms lately at local workshops with Mommy Connections, MumNet, and other “mommy groups”.  At every single one of those workshops, I can bet my bottom dollar that I will be asked this ONE QUESTION:

What quick and healthy snacks can I give my kids [before bed, on the go, for school]?

I’ll rhyme off a list of my favourite quick and healthy snacks for kids, often forgetting most of them.  So I thought it would be wise to get this list of snacks for kids down on ‘paper’ as a reminder for me and a reference for parents.

Before I dive, let me step back and give you a few pointers:

Food for Thought:

• Every snack should have some protein (or fat) to keep kids satiated longer, and those blood sugar levels stabilized.  In other words, a banana or a biscuit on its own isn’t sufficient.  You’ll feel satiated briefly and then the sugar cravings (and tantrums) will rush in.
• Include a veggie or fruit in all snacks for nutrient-density.  Crackers, bread, and cookies have their place but don’t offer the same nutrition bang for every bite.

Quick and Healthy Snacks for Kids

This mix & match list will help you crete quick & dirty clean healthy snacks for your kids (most with no cooking required)!

Pick one of these 10 foods

These foods contain mostly carbohydrates.

1. Fresh fruit (berries, banana, melon, plum, pear, etc)
2. Fresh cut veggies (peppers, cucumbers, carrots, snap peas, etc)
3. Dried fruit (apple chips, banana chips, prunes, unsulfured apricots, mango, etc)
4. Roasted nori sheets
5. Crackers (TIP: choose a brand like Mary’s Crackers for more nutrition)
6. Cookies
7. Rice cakes (TIP: white rice contains lower levels of arsenic)
8. Oatmeal
9. Bread
10. Cereal

Then pick one of these 10 foods

These foods contain some protein and/or fat.

1. Hummus (TIP: try Beet or Red Pepper Hummus for a colourful twist)
2. Roasted Chickpeas (or other legumes like edamame)
3. Roasted Green Peas
4. Chia pudding (TIP: let sit overnight for a better texture…or blend)
5. Avocado (TIP: serve as morning snack to maintain freshness)
6. Coconut chips
7. Cheese or Yogurt (TIP: stick with whole fat plain yogurt and add your own fruit, honey, etc)
8. Nut or seeds/butter (TIP: pumpkin seeds/pumpkin seed butter is a good source of zinc!)
9. Hard-boiled egg (TIP: try quail eggs which are perfect for tiny mouths)
10. Meat, poultry or fish (TIP: meat isn’t just for dinner!  My girls will happily eat meatballs or scallops for snack-time)

Quick and Healthy Snacks for Kids – 15 Examples:

1. Cucumber + hummus
2. Pear + roasted chickpeas
3. Berries  + chia pudding
4. Peppers + cheese
5. Crackers + cheese (ideally + fruit or veg too)
6. Crackers + hummus (ideally + fruit or veg too)
7. Toast + pumpkin seed butter (ideally + fruit or veg too)
8. Clementine + hard-boiled egg
9. Dried apple chips + avocado
10. Rice cakes + smoked salmon (ideally + fruit or veg too)
11. Grapes + coconut chips
12. Mango + yogurt
13. Roasted nori + edamame
14. Apple + chicken chunks
15. Rice cake + hummus

What are your go-tos when it comes to packing quick and healthy snacks for kids?