Photo Credit: Elana’sPantry on Flickr.com
School days seem long, and kids often need a little snack here and there. Fending off hunger while maintaining focus and energy is a must, so if you provide snacks for your child or an entire class, set your standards high. Just because kids seem to have high metabolisms, doesn’t mean you should settle for a box of Cheez-its or cookies. They deserve more and you can do better! Kids do gain weight, earn high cholesterol levels, and suffer from other health related issues; don’t contribute to that. Put in some thought and seek out foods high on nutrition and low on fat and calories. You can do this!
16 Ideas for healthy school snacks:
- Fresh fruit with yogurt dipping sauce
- Fruit and cheese kabobs
- Vegetable tray with low fat dip
- Celery sticks with peanut butter
- Low-fat pretzels
- Yogurt smoothies – low fat
- Quesadillas with salsa
- Yogurt parfaits – layered fruit and yogurt
- Air-popped popcorn – Pop it in class. The kids love it!
- Pizza with low-fat toppings – veggies, grilled chicken, low-fat cheese
- Mini Sandwiches – lean turkey with low fat cheese on whole wheat bread
- Water
- Low-fat milk
- Angel food cake with fruit toppings for celebrations
- Dried Fruit
- Trail mix.
If you’re going to settle for a snack like chips, at the very least choose the baked variety. Lays and Lesser Evil Snacks both do a wonderful job making baked chips taste great. What healthy snacks you provide. We’d love more ideas!
