Preparing nutritious meals for children and decreasing reliance on pre-packaged snacks
In today's world, where convenience often comes at the cost of nutrition, it's essential to find healthier alternatives for our children's snacks. Gina's blog offers a wealth of ideas to help families make the switch from costly packaged snacks to homemade options that are not only healthier but also cost-effective.
One of the popular homemade snacks is energy bites. Made from a mix of cashews, pitted dates, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract, and maple syrup, these bites are a quick, nutritious, and kid-friendly boost.
Another favourite find for healthy snacks is Poshi veggie packs. These packs are filled with a variety of ready-to-go vegetables like cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, and edamame, perfect for a quick, nutritious snack.
For a change every week, one different snack or meal is prepared, such as chicken or pasta salad, Spanish tortilla, quiche, or a cold noodle dish with vegetables and protein.
Fruit prep includes melons, berries, grapes, and plums, soaked in vinegar and water solutions and stored in glass containers. This way, kids have ready-to-eat fresh fruits in the fridge, encouraging natural sweet snacking over bars or packaged treats.
Cottage cheese is another favourite healthy snack, while deli meat, rolled up with cream cheese or mayo, is a favourite healthy snack idea.
Some healthy homemade snack ideas for kids include sweet potato chips baked with olive oil and salt, providing calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C, and healthier than store-bought fried chips. Light popcorn, air-popped or low-fat microwave versions, lightly salted or seasoned, is another easy and healthy snack option.
DIY trail mix made with Cheerios, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a small amount of dark chocolate offers protein, healthy fats, and vitamins. Ants on a log, celery sticks with nut butter and raisins, combine fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Edamame sprinkled with salt is an on-the-go protein and fiber snack.
Energy or protein balls, such as no-bake protein balls or peanut butter oatmeal balls with chocolate chips, offer a quick, nutritious, and kid-friendly boost. Veggie sticks like peeled and chopped cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots served with homemade hummus or guacamole for dipping are also popular choices.
Breakfast-style snacks like egg bites, overnight oats, chia pudding, or breakfast cookies that kids enjoy and can grab easily are excellent options. Crunchy roasted chickpeas for a savory, protein-rich alternative to chips, and mini wraps with lean turkey and hummus for a handheld protein and fiber snack, are also appreciated by kids.
Creative snacks like hard-boiled eggs shaped for fun or fresh fruit on a stick with yogurt dip increase appeal and nutrition for kids. Sardines, often used for sardine melts or eaten straight-up by kids, are a favourite healthy snack option.
Simple Mills products, such as crackers, cookies, and baking mixes, are among the favourite healthy brand finds. Some packaged snacks still purchased include nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, canned beans, Lupini snacking beans from Thrive Market, and seaweed snacks.
By making these changes, families can not only save money but also provide better nutrition for their kids, making a significant difference in their overall health and well-being.
