Great Snacks

If all those kid-friendly favorites are actually junk food, what are you supposed to give your starving kiddo at three in the afternoon? Try these tips to improve the quality of your snacks.

• Plan snacks as part of your daily or weekly food plan. Instead of quickly placating a growling child with a handful of Cheetos, prepare healthy snacks ahead of time and hand them out in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
• Mix non-sugared cereals with raisins and something familiar such as popcorn or goldfish crackers.
• Cut up veggies or fruit at night and have them ready to go in baggies or small plastic containers. Kids may refuse foods at the dinner table but they tend to eat absolutely anything in the car!
• Make your own cheese and cracker sandwiches.
• Get creative with fun foods like ants on a log, fruit kabobs, and pink or blue fruit smoothies from strawberries or blueberries and plain (no sugar—just milk) yogurt, ice, and a splash of juice or milk.
• Keep it simple. A rolled-up piece of sliced turkey and some whole wheat pretzels is quick, easy, and contains the carbs, fat, and protein necessary to keep energy levels consistent. A hard-boiled egg made the night before and a piece of toast take 60 seconds to prepare in the morning but are much healthier than frozen waffles or fat-laden granola bars. Peeling a banana takes the same amount of time as opening a pack of fruit snacks.

Despite their questionable nutritional value, prepackaged snacks aren't going to cause irreparable harm if eaten in moderation. Piette says, "No food will make or break a child's health, but you (as a parent) are shaping their palate, so make their menu as sugar-free and healthful as possible."