11 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

11 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

Hey there again, moms and dads! Last time we were talking about great toddler food ideas that will help make your little one enjoy their meals from when they start eating until they start off on their first day of school in day care or preschool. Those same ideas will easily apply to our kids, but by the time your kids are older—say about 5-10 years old—they already know what they want and what they don't want. Your toddlers at a point can't say no to what you have to say and will surely eat whatever you put on their plate simply because they have no choice. But for children, they already have a mind of their own and it's more of telling you that, 'I can decide on my own! Thank you very much!'

Believe us when we say that teaching your child how to be independent is a good thing but there is a boundary to being an independent and a confident child from a child who talks back and is being disrespectful. You're still their parents and they need to know that what you want for them is what's good for them—even when it comes to eating. Just because your child is a picky eater, it doesn't mean that you have to always give in and always buy them food that they want which is completely unnecessary to their health like packed mac n' cheese, frozen pizza, hot dogs, and store bought meals to heat in the microwave. They may taste good but they completely compromise the health of your kids. We've listed down a list of great healthy snacks ideas that will work perfectly for your kids. And believe us, some of them, you already have them lying around the house. But first, here are our thoughts about giving your kids a healthy and happy diet.

In consideration to moms and dads who are really into a great healthy lifestyle, we have listed down the daily health needs of our kids. Like adults, kids also have a daily nutritional requirement to stay on the healthy side. From ages 4-8, kids have different nutritional needs. If you notice, at this age, boys eat more than girls. And it is also at this level that boys have a stronger and more active lifestyle than girls. Now, on an average level of activity, boys need about 1,200-2,000 calories a day and girls need about 1,200-1,800 calories a day. On a daily basis your kids need the following:

Nutrient	Source	Boys	Girls
Protein	Seafood, lean meat and poultry, eggs, nuts, beans, and seeds	3-5.5 ounces	3-5 ounces
Fruits	Fresh and dried, canned (when fresh fruits are not available)	1-2 cups	1-1.5 cups
Vegetables	Preferably fresh or dried, you can also buy them frozen or canned	1.5-2.5 cups	1.5-2.5 cups
Grains	Oatmeal, grain cereals, quinoa, whole wheat bread, brown rice	4-6 ounces	4-6 ounces
Dairy	Milk, yogurt, cheese	2.5 cups	2.5 cups

You can also check out the daily calorie requirement of kids older than 8 years old. As much as possible, do your best to stay closer to fresher organic food. It may bust your budget a little bit but for the safety of completely healthy eating, your kids will reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle in the long run.

The first half is actually healthy treats that your kids already eat on a daily basis, but we can hack these foods and make them healthier than they already are. Here are 5 surprisingly healthy snacks that your kids are already very familiar with.

1. Popcorn

It's true. We all know that popcorn is a whole grain but we are too used to buying pre-packed buttered popcorn that we pop in the microwave. You can air-pop your popcorn using a pressure cooker or your very own popcorn popper. This stays away from the radiation of the microwave. But if you have none of those, just put half a cup of corn in a paper bag add butter, grated cheese, cinnamon and sugar, and more! Surprisingly, popcorn also contains 4 grams of fiber in 3 servings of popcorn. A movie marathon with a bucket is actually a healthy way to spending quality time with your family.

2. Peanut butter

Yup! Peanut butter is in itself already healthy, but you really have other ways of making it an even healthier snack for your kids. So, don't throw your baby food maker just yet since you can use it to break down peanuts and make your own peanut butter. It's a fun healthy kids' snack to make and it's true that when you're not looking, your child is scooping a huge spoonful of peanut straight from the jar. True enough, it's a great option and making a sandwich with homemade peanut butter and fruit like banana, apple, even cream cheese is overly delicious!

3. Pizza and Sandwiches

We know what you're thinking but don't you think about it! We're talking about your own homemade pizza! Pizza is something we all love! It's technically just a sandwich made differently and doing it yourself at home is a fun way of making your kids do house chores! Your kids will learn how to make their own healthy homemade pizza with just simple yet healthy ingredients lying around the house. 

4. Ice pops

If ice cream is not an option, one closest to it is ice pops. They are cool and enjoyable and definitely a favorite treat after a really tiring and sweaty play date with your family friends. Ice pops are healthy since you can simply make your own with ease. You can even use your baby food ice tray and toothpick. If you have leftover fruit smoothies at home, fill up the tray and put in toothpicks. Actually, we simply put in a cut of fruits in a blender like strawberry and watermelon and fill-in the ice cube tray.

Here's a fun idea: make two or three fruit blends like apple-mango blend, blueberry cream, peanut butter with diced banana, and alternately fill up the ice cube tray. Once frozen, pull them out and serve. You'll be giving your kids a super healthy and colorful frozen summer treat.

5. Fondue

Fun-doo!!! Everybody love dipping fruits and treats in chocolate! Heck, who hates chocolates anyway? You will absolutely love treating yourself and your kids to great dessert fest with sliced up fruits and melted chocolate or cheese. This is enjoyable to eat with your entire family and it's a great bonding moment for each and every one! You'll never go wrong with fondue!

Healthy snacks for kids aren't that difficult and don't really take much of your time. Snacks for kids are great fill-ins for a tired child who just came from the neighbor's house playing catch or military stuff with their walkie-talkies and nerf guns. Kids are active little people that constantly need nourishment since they are constantly growing up and healthy snacks are in-betweens that will give your kids the extra boost of energy they need in a day. Here are seven more healthy kid snacks your children will love.​

6. House version of French Fries

Deep fried potatoes are among the unhealthiest foods you can give your kids but cutting up sweet potatoes like french fries with the use of a mandoline slicer and cooking it at home is a good option.

7. Crepes

Making your own crepe can be difficult and time-consuming but you can simply use tortillas as your crepe.

8. Waffle

Here's an interesting life hack. We may love pancakes and waffles but mixing the flour, egg, milk and other ingredients are just too tedious—or we're just being really lazy. Grab a one-liter bottle with a wide-mouthed funnel and put in all the ingredients to make your waffle mix and cook with the use of waffle maker!

9. Banana Splits

There is nothing that an ice cream cannot use. Buying an organic vanilla ice cream is readily available in the market. With vanilla ice cream, you can do anything! Instead of using a banana, you can also use other fruits like a peach that got a bit over ripe. And did you know that you can use melted vanilla ice cream in replacement for your milk in your pancake mix?

10. Cheese wraps

Cheese is a fan favorite! This is an easy healthy snack that is super easy to do that your kids can even make for themselves. With a cooked ham ready, cut it in half. Put a small block of cheese. You can also add a stick of carrot or zucchini inside. Roll! Put it in the oven for 3 minutes or until the cheese softens. Serve! This is a super easy healthy kids snack your children will adore!

11. Fruit kebab

Another no-cook recipe that doesn't need much effort is simply grabbing a barbecue stick and fruits sliced in cubes. Slice up strawberries, bananas, apple cubes, kiwi, pears, and watermelon. Alternately, line them like you'll do with a kebab and serve with a smoothie! You can also chill it in the fridge for a while. One fun trick we found that kids seem to have enjoyed is dipping the fruit kebab in almond flavored melted jelly. Once the jelly hardens, it creates this lollipop look that kids love to rip-off the fruits.

Healthy snacks are everywhere. Let's just refrain from grabbing on to those frozen snacks for kids or packed cookies and chips. Your health is your kid's wealth and a healthy lifestyle will keep them fit and in perfect shape. This is a great way to keep your kids away from getting overweight and be picked on by bullies. Anyway, a healthy snack can go a really long way and all you need is your love and a bowl of healthy snacks to make magical treats for kids. Be creative and enjoy!

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