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Home › Articles › Your Children › Magnificent Munchies

Magnificent Munchies

5 Healthy Snacks That Will Have Them Begging for More

By Donna Smith

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Healthy Banana Split

If you can, serve these fun snacks in a plastic ice cream dish and long, plastic spoons – just like the ice cream parlor!

1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt, plain or fruit-flavored
1/4 cup diced fruit of choice (apple, peaches or strawberries work well)
2 tablespoons granola or other unsweetened cereal

Cut the banana in half lengthwise and place in a bowl. Top with the yogurt, then add diced fruit and sprinkle with cereal.

Tasty Tuna-Apple Salad in Bread Cups

Kids love anything served in a fun and unusual way. Keep the filling covered and in the refrigerator for up to three days. Grapes would be another great addition to this snack.

1 can (7 ounces) tuna, packed in water
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced apple, with fiber-rich peel left on
1/4 cup plain, nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grated cheese, optional
6 slices whole-wheat bread

Combine the drained tuna, celery, apple, yogurt and mayonnaise in a bowl. Mix well.

Gently cut or tear the crust off the bread, and push inside a regular-size muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for seven to nine minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool a couple of minutes. Fill with the tuna mixture. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, if desired. Store unused bread cups in a plastic zipper bag for later use.

What the Experts Have to Say About Snacking

"Only buy and serve foods which you feel will help your child stay healthy and grow up strong. Why have soda pop around if you feel it is unhealthful? This only provides fuel for food battles. Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholesome breads and crackers, nut butters, cheese, yogurts, dried fruit, 100 percent juices – these snacks are convenient, inexpensive, don't contain additives and provide kids with good energy." – Cynthia Lair, author of Feeding the Whole Family (Moon Smile Press, 1998)

"Snack times should be planned as 'mini-meals,' emphasizing nutritious foods and beverages from the Food Guide Pyramid. Encourage your child to include at least two of the five major food groups at every snack." – Connie Evers, registered dietitian and author of How to Teach Nutrition to Kids (24 Carrot Press, 2003)

"Offer healthful snacks when they are most hungry, like right before dinner. For example, set out a tray of raw veggies and dip about 45 minutes before dinner when kids are starting to say, 'Mom, I'm hungry! When's dinner?'" – Melanie Wilson, founder of Vegetarian Baby & Child Magazine

"Only have healthy choices on hand – that way there is no fighting about having the 'junk!' Fruit, cheese cubes/string cheese, hardboiled eggs, granola bars, peanut butter crackers, beef jerky, even whole-grain cereals, eaten dry, make good snacks." – Monica C. Montag, nutritionist


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