Has your child gained some weight lately, but you’re not sure exactly what to do about it? Exchange some of their unhealthy snack foods with these healthy snacks and see if that doesn’t make a difference.
Begin with introducing all kinds of fresh fruit. Bring home new fruit and have fruit taste testing events where your kids try a few different types of fruit and vote on which one they like best. Offer both new and unusual fruits alongside the common options.
Get an air popcorn popper and show your kids how much fun it is to pop and eat, even without the butter. Instead spray with a tiny bit of water and then salt it. For a sweet variation, drizzle low-cal maple syrup and toss for a caramel corn substitute.
Get a bag of those pretzel thins and top with slivers of cheese. Try using a strong-flavored cheese so you won’t need much to flavor the pretzels.
Cook up some hard boiled eggs. Kids love to peel the eggs, and the protein will keep them full for a long time. Serve them with salt and pepper.
Make your kids some ants on a log. Spread a modest amount of peanut butter on celery sticks and then place raisins or minitaure chocolate chips on top (which are the ants).
Baby carrots with light salad dressing. Older kids may like to use a knife to carve the veggies into flowers and shapes.
Try seasoned, cooked shrimp. Just pour some cajun seasoning into a pot with some hot water and boil the shrimp until done; it’s a perfectly delicious high protein snack.
Offer fancy rolls of cold cuts and cheese. Buy lean ham or turkey, and roll it up with thin slices of cheese and secure with toothpicks so it looks special.
Fruit smoothies. Make a smoothie from frozen fruit (peaches, raspberries, mango, blueberries) and low calorie juices; blend until frosty but smooth. Feel free to add yogurt if your kids like them tangy and creamy.
Greek yogurt. With double the protein and no fat, this snack is a winner for everyone, kids and adults alike. It comes in all kinds of flavors–even honey and chocolate!
If you set the example with your healthy eating habits, your children will make the transition more easily. For more suggestions, check out a healthy eating cookbook.
