Written by: Amy Sloane
As a parent, it can be challenging to keep your child’s sweet cravings satisfied without giving in to too much junk food. It can be difficult to find snacks that make your child feel as if they are getting a treat while satisfying your desire to fill them up with a variety of nutritious foods. Here are five healthy snack ideas that will feel like an indulgence to your child but still make you happy as a parent.
Homemade Fruit Leathers
It is no surprise that children love fruit leathers. This chewy and sweet treat is fun to eat for kids of all ages. Unfortunately, most store-bought fruit leathers are loaded with added sugars and preservatives that knock them off of your healthy eating list. The good news is that you can easily make this snack at home and control the sugar yourself. The only ingredients in homemade fruit leather are fresh fruit, lemon juice, and sugar to taste. Most recipes call for you to make a fruit puree and pour it onto a cookie sheet to bake at a low temperature until it is set and ready to cut into squares.
Protein Bites
You will never know that you are eating a protein-rich snack when you sink your teeth into these bites. Protein keto bites contain ingredients such as roasted cashews, organic chocolate chips, pea protein, and other natural ingredients. Kids will appreciate the sweet taste of these morsels while parents will love their convenience. Protein bites are portable, making them a great snack on the go or in school lunch boxes. You can find this nutritious and innovative product online or in some health food stores.
Peanut Butter Apple Dip
Satisfy a sweet tooth and get a healthy dose of protein and fresh fruit with this satisfying combo. You will make eating fruit fun for your child if you pair it with a yummy dip. For one serving of the dip, simply mix one tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt with one tablespoon of creamy peanut butter and 1/2 tablespoon of honey. A big batch of this dip will hold for a few days in the fridge, making it easy to whip up a healthy snack for your child at any time of the day. You can also try this dip with graham crackers or pretzels.
Frozen Yogurt Covered Blueberries
This perfect summer treat is low in calories and high in fiber along with delivering a healthy dose of protein. And it could not be easier to make. The first step is to wash the desired amount of fresh blueberries that have not been already frozen. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and then use a toothpick to dip each blueberry into the Greek yogurt flavor of your choice. Fill the baking sheet with the dipped blueberries and then gently set in the freezer for at least one hour. Once the yogurt has set, transfer the blueberries to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. Your child will love being able to help themselves with this tasty frozen fruit treat.
Cinnamon Honey Popcorn
What kid does not love munching on a big bowl of popcorn? You can make this snack sweet by topping it with this delicious cinnamon and honey mixture that perfectly complements the goodness of the popcorn. After making the popcorn of your choice, drizzle it with equal parts cinnamon, honey, and sugar. You do not need a lot of the sweeteners to go a long way. Two tablespoons of each ingredient should be enough to cover a bag of popcorn. This snack is the perfect combination of sweet and salty, similar to kettle corn but with even more flair. When stored in an airtight container, this snack will remain fresh for days. Snack it on during family movie night, pack it in your school lunches, or simply enjoy it at any time.
Trail Mix
Smoothies
Chicken Noodle Soup
Cottage Cheese & Peaches
Banana Oat Cookies
Any of these snacks will satisfy your child’s love of sweet foods while still making you feel good about what you are giving them to eat. Once you get creative with these types of nutritious snacks, you will realize how easy it is to think outside of the box for healthy eating.
