HEALTHY SNACKS FOR KIDS . . .
Busy
families sometimes have trouble fitting in three healthy
meals
each day. Like it or not, snacking
has become an important contributor to daily food
intake. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) survey of nearly
10,000
children, twice as many kids today eat snack foods,
like crackers, popcorn, pretzels, and corn chips, as
kids did just
20 years ago. Soda consumption has increased 37 percent
for six- to nine-year-olds during the same time period.
While
children are eating
extra calories, many still fall short on meeting
their needs for vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin
E, vitamin
B6, zinc, and iron. What does this all mean? Youll
want to take extra care to make certain your childs
snacks are every
bit as
healthful as the meals you serve. The easiest way
to do this is to use the same guidelines for snack
planning as for meal planning.
Many
healthy, convenient options can be found within each
of the New Four Food Groupsfruits, vegetables, grains,
and legumes. Whether eaten on the go or at home after
school, healthy snacks are easy and quick to put together
and eat,
and offer important nutrients and energy in each
delicious bite. Keep healthy beverages, such as water,
juice,
and soymilk,
and snack
foods, such as the ones listed in the table below,
on-hand at home and encourage your children to pack
them into their bags
before leaving
the house.
Chopped raw vegetables and dip
Chunks of avocado, cucumber, or cooked sweet potato
Breadsticks or pita chips with hummus
Pretzels or popcorn
Tortilla chips with bean dip
Cheerios, granola, or other cereal in a bag
Toasted whole grain breads or crackers with fruit
spread
or nut butters
Graham crackers or gingersnaps dipped in applesauce
Mini rice cakes with peanut butter
Apple slices with hazelnut butter
Fresh fruits
Dried fruits, especially raisins
Frozen bananas blended with a little non-dairy
milk
Applesauce or other fruit cups
Nuts, especially mixed with dried fruit
Soy yogurt
Soy ice cream
Individual boxes of soymilk, rice milk, or fruit
juices
Homemade muffins or cornbread
Ramen soup with added vegetables
Fresh soybeans (edamame)
Bite-sized tofu cubes
Tofu hot dogs
SNACK RECIPES
FOR KIDS
Maple Walnut
Granola
(makes about 6 cups)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 300oF.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix
thoroughly.
Transfer to a 9- x 13-inch baking
dish. Bake, turning often with a
spatula,
until mixture
is golden brown,
about 25 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 231 calories;
7 g protein; 39 g carbohydrate;
6.5 g fat;
2.5 g fiber;
5 mg sodium;
calories
from protein: 11%; calories
from carbohydrates: 66%; calories
from fats: 23%
Applesauce
(makes about 6 cups)
6 large, tart apples (gravenstein, pippins, Granny
Smith, etc.)
1 cup undiluted apple juice concentrate
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For chunky applesauce, peel apples, then core and
dice. Place in a large pan. Add apple juice concentrate,
then
cover and cook over
low heat, stirring often, until apples are soft.
Mash slightly with a fork if desired, then stir
in cinnamon.
Serve hot or cold.
For smoother applesauce, cut apples into quarters
and remove cores. Chop finely in a food processor.
Transfer
to a pan and add
apple juice concentrate and cinnamon. Cover and
cook, stirring often, over low heat until tender,
about
15 minutes.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 101 calories; 0.3 g protein;
26 g carbohydrate; 0.5 g fat; 2 g fiber; 6 mg
sodium; calories from protein: 1%; calories
from
carbohydrates: 95%; calories from fats: 4%
Quick Bean
Dip
(makes about 2 cups)
Serve this dip with baked tortilla chips or use it
as a burrito filling.
1 cup fat-free, vegetarian refried beans
1/2 -1 cup salsa (you choose the heat)
Combine refried beans with salsa. Add more salsa
for preferred consistency.
Per 1/4-cup serving: 63 calories; 4 g protein;
12 g carbohydrate; 0.2 g fat; 4 g fiber; 117
mg sodium;
calories from protein:
25%; calories from
carbohydrates: 72%; calories from fats: 3%
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
(makes 10 to 12
muffins)
2 cups whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry
flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 15-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup raisins
Preheat oven to 375oF. Mix flour, sugar,
baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon,
and nutmeg
in a large
bowl. Add pumpkin,
1/2 cup of water, and raisins. Stir until
just mixed. Spoon batter into oil-sprayed
muffin
cups, filling
to just below the tops.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until tops of muffins
bounce back when pressed lightly. Remove
from oven and
let stand
5 minutes.
Remove muffins from pan and cool on a rack.
Store cooled muffins in an airtight container.
Per muffin: 131 calories; 3 g protein;
31 g carbohydrate; 0.5 g fat; 4 g fiber;
236
mg
sodium; calories
from protein: 10%; calories from
carbohydrates: 87%; calories from fats:
3%
Veggies in a Blanket
(makes 2 large
roll-ups)
2 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
1 grated carrot
2 lettuce leaves (or a handful of baby
spinach leaves)
Warm tortillas in a dry pan. Spread
vegan cream cheese on them. Add
carrots and
lettuce or
spinach. Roll
up and serve or wrap in
plastic wrap for snacking later.
Variations: Add thin sticks of
cucumber or sweet
red pepper before
rolling.
Per roll-up: 159 calories; 4 g
protein; 22 g carbohydrate; 6
g fat; 2 g fiber;
230 mg
sodium;
calories from
protein: 10%; calories from
carbohydrates: 55%; calories
from fats: 35%
PRINT ARTICLE
