Kids' Afternoon Snacks
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
An afternoon snack is not just an indulgence: active kids with fast metabolisms and
small-capacity tummies need a between-meal pick-me-up on a regular basis. It can
be 6 hours or longer between school lunch and dinner, and that's too long for most
kids to go without beginning to droop for lack of fuel. Snacks can, and should, be a
part of every child's balanced diet. An afternoon snack will give kids more energy
after school, and they'll be able to concentrate on homework, and have more energy
to play outside rather than merely flop down in front of the television.
Let Them be Choosy It's easy to equate snacking with junk food, but it doesn't have
to be the case. Even the most angelic child would be hard-put to choose a plate of
spinach over a candy bar. Fortunately, there is a happy medium to be reached
between the all-out junk food that your children would be inclined to eat if left to
their own devices, and the menacing green piles of steamed vegetables that you
would love to see them eat. The important thing is to provide kids with choices when
it comes to snacking. If all the choices you give them are reasonably nutritious ones,
then everybody's happy: your kids get to choose their snacks, and you get to ensure
that they're eating healthfully.
Is it possible to make fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low fat dairy products and
whole grains appealing to your kids? You've probably got a few tricks up your
sleeve already to do just such a thing, but here are some of our favorite tried and true
methods for making kids shout, 'hooray for healthy foods!'
Take a dip: If the kids turn up their noses at fruits and vegetables, you may be
surprised to find that all you need to do is present the same foods in a different way
and suddenly they won't be able to get enough produce. Kids love anything they can
dip! A baggie full of carrot and celery sticks, cucumber and bell pepper slices, sugar
snap peas and cherry tomatoes will disappear like magic if there's a tub of dip to go
with them. Make some ranch dressing using low fat ingredients, or make a batch of
nutritious hummus, bean dip or salsa. Baked tortilla chips and whole wheat crackers
or pita triangles are perfect, nutritious and kid-pleasing accompaniments for dips,
too. Sliced fruit takes on a whole new appeal as well when it's accompanied by a
sweet, creamy dip. Good fruit dips include flavored yogurt, applesauce, low fat sour
cream sweetened with honey or brown sugar, and caramel ice cream topping.
Be Constructive: Kids love to turn any eating occasion into an interactive experience.
You may have a "don't play with your food" rule at mealtimes, but try relaxing the
rule at snack time, and you'll become every kid's hero. By letting them construct their
own snacks, you'll also keep them occupied for awhile and ensure that they're more
likely to sample whatever nutritious foods they're tinkering with. And, by encouraging
your child assemble his or her own snacks, you just may be sparking a lifelong
interest in cooking!
*A selection of melon balls, berries, pineapple chunks, and cubed peaches, pears or
apples will be eagerly grabbed at by little hands and piled onto frilled toothpicks to
make fruit kabobs.
*Mini sandwiches made from crackers or cut-up bread will be a big hit. The kids will
have a ball at snack time if you equip them with a few slices of bread, lunchmeat and
cheese, and a couple of miniature cookie cutters to make tiny, whimsically shaped
sandwiches.
*No kid can resist pizza! Pizza doesn't have to be loaded with fat -- it can be a
perfectly healthy snack. Depending on your kids' ages and appetites, they can use
half an English muffin, a whole pita or a tortilla as a pizza crust. Let them smear on a
bit of bottled tomato sauce, sprinkle it lightly with low fat mozzarella cheese, and top
with chopped vegetables, and a little bit of lean meat if desired. Heat for a few
minutes in the toaster oven or microwave, and then cut the pizza into teeny-tiny
triangles for extra kid-appeal.
Freeze: We usually equate frozen snacks with special treats, like ice cream and snow
cones. Take advantage of that association and freeze some healthy treats for the kids
to snack on. Try fruit, for starters! Frozen grapes are cool like popsicles and sweet
like candy, but they've got plenty of vitamins and fiber too. The kids will really go
bananas for frozen bananas when you roll them in chocolate syrup and chopped nuts.
Don't forget to peel them before freezing! Other favorites include peach and
nectarine slices, and berries of all kinds. If you're at home to help operate the
blender, you can turn any combination of frozen fruit, milk, yogurt, juice and ice into
highly nutritious but indulgently delicious "milkshake".
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