A snack is a small portion of food eaten between regular meals. Research shows that short and healthy snacks between meals can enhance children’s growth and metabolism. While some detractors of snacking argue that it causes obesity, letting kids go hungry for long and then make them overeat during the meals is not desirable either.
Snack for kids should be healthy, appetising and add to the nutrition. The little ones are often averse to the bitter flavours in a lot of healthy vegetables, and often, what tastes delicious to an adult, tastes distasteful to a child. Making healthy snack that excites and delights the kiddos thus requires some thinking and creativity.
Here is a list of fun and easy-to-make healthy snacks kids will love:
Energy Booster Laddoos: Kids love laddoos so they won’t hesitate to have one or two if they feel hungry. The trick is to pack in healthy nutrients by making them sweet with millet or wheat flour and adding nuts and jaggery instead of sugar.
Fruit Chaats and Salads: Fruits are also vital for giving complete nutrition to growing children. It helps build immunity and boost digestion. What’s more, this tangy snack can be ready even before your little one reaches out for the candy shelf.
Vegetable Cutlets: Junk foods are tempting to young and developing palettes. Because they find cutlets yummy, it is a good idea to make cutlets with all the healthy vegetables your little one would otherwise crinkle their nose at. Who knows, they might even start craving for those green things after eating it.
Pizza with Veggies: Kids won’t stop craving for pizza. So how about delivering one with some serious nutritional punch? Make some attractive topping with onion, capsicum, chopped baby spinach, lettuce or cabbage and garnish it with a mix of shredded cheese.
Light Soups: Soups make the perfect appetizer, so they are the perfect snack for setting up your kids for the larger meal. Don’t hesitate to put in vegetables like peas, carrots, spring onions, green leafy vegetables and also baby corns. Kids will enjoy them especially on cooler evenings.
Oven-Baked Egg Bites: Eggs are good for children as they support healthy cell functioning, no doubt, and they tend to like its mild flavour. So baked egg bites would make a quick and perfect evening snack. Pop some eggs into muffin tins and put them in oven to bake. You can add the kids’ favourite toppings halfway through baking to make the treat extra special.
Cookies: Capture the delicious magic of a cookie with apple slices and no-sugar peanut butter, or with ragi and chocolate chips. You can also make the quick and simple millet pancakes and Slurrpfarm cookies for your hungry little ones before the hunger and lethargy gets better of them.
Munchies: Kids love munchies, don’t they? But if only they were good for health too. But not all are the same. The Slurrpfarm Mighty Munch are healthy, ready-to-eat snacks made with Ragi, Jowar and natural ingredients in yummy cheese and herb flavour. This ideal any-time snack is suitable for all children above 4 years. It can be a choking hazard for children younger than that. Parents must always supervise children while they are eating.
Snack time is a great opportunity to sneak some extra nutrients into your growing child’s diet. So next time your little one cries hunger, switch to healthy snacks for toddlers and preschoolers and stay away from processed foods or junk food.
