We all know that we should be giving our kids healthy snacks to take to school or have after school when they’re ravenous. I know from experience it’s very easy to get stuck in a rut and grab a couple of biscuits on the way out to school pick up. So here’s the inside track (from mums at the school gate) on healthy snacks that kids like and will eat.
Get children involved with your quest for “healthier snacks” getting them to add up sugar cubes on the ‘Sugar Smart’ app. It’s simple to use. Just scan the barcode of their favourite food or drink and it pops up with how many sugar cubes it contains. My kids were shocked at how many sugar cubes were in a packet of their favourite biscuits…
Getting the 5-a-day
We all know that you can’t beat fruit or vegetables for a super healthy snack. Make getting their five-a-day fun by serving fruit on cocktail sticks or by adding stickers to a colourful bag full of fruit and veg. My 8-year old loves cucumber, celery and carrot sticks with a small pot of hummus – just perfect for a quick after school snack. And, I even write messages and smiley faces on her banana to take to school! 😉
Cheese & Eggs
Protein from cheese and eggs will help fill hungry tummies fast. Eat on their own or with oatcakes or crispbreads. A boiled egg is easy and quick to make. Buy ready-wrapped cheddar sticks or cut slices from a block of cheese to take to school.
A (healthy) Sandwich
Oatcakes, rice or corn cakes are all healthy alternatives to your traditional white bread sandwich. Top with cheese, jam (no-added-sugar of course), banana, hummus, or mashed avocado. Healthy nut butters without added sugar such as almond or cashew are great too. Apples spread with nut butter are a favourite in our house. Avoid taking nuts into school because of allergies.
A (healthy) Biscuit
If you enjoy baking then it’s so much better to make your own healthy versions of muffins/flapjacks etc as you “know” exactly what you’ve put in them, say many mums. Alternatively, check for healthy snack bars without added sugar or additives. Some brands mums swear by are Nak’d, Trek or Bounce Balls.
Unsweetened Yoghurt
Avoid shop-bought yoghurts which are full of sugar and instead add fruit and honey to plain yoghurt to sweeten naturally.
Nuts & Seeds
Choose nuts and seeds (outside of school) over crisps. Not only are they full of healthy omega oils, but they’re a filling snack. Look for natural nuts without salt or sugar. Your typical 5 year old should not eat more than 3g of salt (or 1.2g of sodium) a day, according to government guidelines and some bags of crisps will contain a high amount of salt.
DIY Popcorn
My kids love making popcorn with me. It’s fun to make and quite frankly it tastes so much better than buying a microwave bag or a ready-popped version. We sprinkle on both salt and sugar but you could try honey or dip in good quality chocolate for a special treat.
Healthy H2O
If your kids love water then you’re laughing. Many mums swear by adding squeezed fruit to spice up water. My kids love their Kidzinger with built-in citrus press and straw.
