Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids

Schools are almost out for the summer and kids will be more active than during the usual school day. This also means they will be hungrier than usual. For most kids and teens, snacking means a bag of chips, some cookies or other low-nutrient foods. Healthy, filling snacks in between meals are a great way to keep them from getting too hungry or overeating at meal times.

Make sure to plan snack time: a snack between breakfast and lunch and another one between lunch and dinner. Constant snacking or snacking close to meal times can interfere with their appetite and their natural instincts of hunger cues and fullness. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics a good rule of thumb is to offer snacks a few hours after one meal ends and about one to two hours before the next meal begins.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Some great snack ideas that are easy, healthy and budget friendly include:

1. Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins

2. Apple slices and peanut butter

3. Low-fat Greek/regular yogurt and fruit

4. Handful nuts or trail mix (nuts, dried fruit without added sugar, low-sugar dry cereal)

5. Vegetables and hummus

Also, make sure that your children get plenty of water, especially if they are out in the sun. Buy a reusable water bottle and make sure your kids get several refills of water throughout the day.

Water Guidelines for Kids

Check out these guidelines for how much water children should drink each day. This information comes from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

• Boys and girls ages 4-8 years old should drink at least 5 cups of water a day
• Girls ages 9-13 years old should drink at least 7 cups of water a day
• Boys ages 9-13 years old should drink at least 8 cups of water a day
• Girls 14-18 years old should drink at least 8 cups of water a day
• Boys 14-18 years old should drink at least 11 cups of water a day

For healthy recipes you can enjoy with your kids, type the keyword “recipe” in the search box.