Top 10 Healthy Snacks for Kids (and adults)!
Snack foods are one of the most favored food categories of kids, usually second only to dessert! But too often snacks consist of processed foods that not only lack real nutrition, but also contain harmful ingredients that can sabotage health and wellness.
Providing a variety of nutritious snacks for your children is so important! Their growing bodies require solid nutrition to help set the stage for optimal growth, development and good health and wellness both now and in the years to come!
In a quest to make snack time not only easy and delicious, but also nutritious, I’ve listed ten healthy snack categories and have included some my kids’ favorite recipes for each category. (I have to admit that most of these are my favorites too – after all, who doesn’t like a yummy snack!)
Many of these snacks also make great lunch/lunchbox options! Most are pretty easy to whip up on the fly, but better yet, use your meal plan to plan out what snacks you’d like to have on hand for the week ahead and schedule time to make them in advance.
1. Fresh Veggies – Getting more veggies into the average kid can be quite a challenge, but organic vegetables and fruit (especially raw) are the building blocks of good nutrition, which is why they top the chart for nutritious healthy snacks! Aside from classic favorites like “Carrots with *Ranch Dressing” and “Ants on a Log” (celery sticks with nut butter spread in center and topped with dried fruit), here are a few yummy snack options for getting more raw veggies into your kiddos:
• Raw Veggie Confetti Spread: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/veggie-confetti-spread/217458961601971
• Super Green Guacamole: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/super-green-guacamole/211560125525188
• Lacto Fermented Veggies are full of healthy enzymes and probiotics. Before you think, “there’s no way my kids will eat fermented veggies,” just think about something as simple as fermenting/culturing your own pickles, salsa and carrots. (Here’s my boys favorite lacto-fermented salsa recipe: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=226824610665406) I highly recommend the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. She not only covers the many benefits of lacto-fermentation, but also provides recipes.
*Homemade Ranch Dressing – Use this as the perfect dip for a healthy & quick “raw veggies and dip” snack: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=188729584474909
2. Fresh Fruit – Organic raw fruit (and veggies) are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. You can easily grab a piece of fruit and go, but I find that adding some nut butter or a raw/cultured dairy item with fresh fruit really helps to better satisfy my hungry boys’ appetites.
• Fruit & Raw Cheese Kabobs: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/fruit-and-raw-cheese-kabobs/197584620256072
• Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/fruit-yogurt-parfaits/203899419624592
• Yogurt Banana Splits: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/yogurt-banana-split/206905585990642
3. Super Smoothies & Wholesome Fruit Pops – Sweet and delicious, smoothies and homemade wholesome fruit popsicles provide an excellent opportunity to increase the daily amount and variety of raw fruits and veggies that your child consumes.
• Super Smoothie recipes: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/super-smoothies/202579416423259
• Wholesome All Fruit Pops: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=245315415482992
• Fabulous Fruit & Cream Bars: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=245322702148930
4. Dried Fruit and Nuts – Having an assortment of unsweetened dried fruits and “crispy nuts” on hand (raw nuts that are soaked/sprouted and then dehydrated) is especially helpful for creating quick, healthy snacks when you’re on the go.
• Crispy Nut Snack Mixes: Simply combine your favorite crispy nuts (like almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) with your favorite crispy seeds (like sunflower, pumpkin, etc.). Then add your favorite dried fruits, carob chips, and other healthy add-ins and voilà, you’ve got yourself a delicious healthy snack (perfect for snacking on the go)!
• “The Best Granola” Bars: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/the-best-granola-bars/213880981959769
• Grain-free Cinnamon Walnut Buttons: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=189616354386232
• Grain-free Dried Fruit Blondies: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=194705250544009
5. Whole Milk Yogurt & Kefir – Organic whole milk yogurt and kefir are delicious, nutritious treats that are full of healthy probiotics. Most kids like yogurt and/or kefir, especially when it’s combined with fruit for natural sweetness. If your family is dairy-free, you can still enjoy the benefits of probiotics by substituting with homemade cultured coconut milk or coconut milk yogurt in any of these recipes.
• Homemade Frozen Go-Gurts: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/homemade-frozen-go-gurts/205015762846291
• Super Smoothies: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/super-smoothies/202579416423259
• Yogurt Banana Splits: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/yogurt-banana-split/206905585990642
• Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/fruit-yogurt-parfaits/203899419624592
• Fabulous Fruit & Cream Bars: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=245322702148930
6. Organic Raw Cheese – Raw milk cheese is a living food full of important nutrients. Unfortunately, there are many companies out there that label their cheese as raw, when it’s really not. So it’s important to check to be sure the raw cheese you’re purchasing really is raw. Check this out for more info about raw cheese: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/is-your-raw-milk-cheese-really-raw/197593070255227
• Fruit & Raw Cheese Kabobs: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/fruit-and-raw-cheese-kabobs/197584620256072
• Raw Cheese & Crackers: Simply slice up your favorite raw cheese and serve it with some healthy crackers. (See homemade cracker recipes below.)
7. Wholesome Homemade Crackers & Chips – No snack list would be complete without some healthy cracker and chip options! They are the perfect little edible utensils for healthy dips and spreads! Making your own crackers/chips is much more nutritious (since you can avoid all those unwanted ingredients like soybean oil). Enjoy them with your favorite real food toppings/dips, such as raw cheese, nut butter & honey, guacamole, raw veggie confetti dip, hummus or whatever else you can think of – the ideas are endless!
• Grain-Free Multiseed Crackers: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/grain-free-multiseed-crackers/214897641858103
• Spelt Thins Crackers: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=198035940210940
• Honey Graham Crackers: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=197857316895469
• Homemade Tortilla Chips: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=211565735524627
• Perfect Buttered Popcorn: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/perfect-buttered-popcorn/283416448339555
• Healthier Cracker Jack Snack: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=302416513106215
8. Sweet & Savory Roll-Ups – A great lunch/lunchbox option or snack, Sweet & Savory Roll-Ups are a tasty, fun and attractive alternative to the traditional sandwich. In fact, my kids have eaten foods they normally turn down, when I roll it up in a tortilla! Apparently, the cute little roll-up makes everything look and taste yummier!
• Tasty Wrap/Roll-up Ideas (including links to grain-free tortilla recipes):https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/its-a-wrap-sweet-savory-roll-ups-your-whole-family-will-enjoy/210544785626722
9. Nutritious Homemade Muffins – Naturally-sweetened soaked whole grain muffins are a delicious, nutritious snack. If you are grain-free, or simply enjoy eating grain-free options as part of a healthy, well-varied diet, there are some highly nutritious grain-free flours, such as coconut flour and blanched almond flour, that can be used to create delicious, healthy muffins as well.
• 24-Hour Power Muffins: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=188670104480857
• Favorite Fruit Muffins(GF): https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=247558321925368
• Mixed Berry Muffins(GF): https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=340841422597057
• Cinnamon Streusel Muffins(GF): https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/cinnamon-streusel-muffins-gf/318789254802274
• Lemon Poppy Mini-Muffins(GF): https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=188687054479162
10. Other Wholesome Baked Goods – Homemade healthy baked goods make delicious wholesome snacks too! If you’re grain-free, I recommend checking out the following blogs for some healthy grain-free baked goods recipes: “Cooking Traditional Foods,” “Health Home and Happiness,” and “Elana’s Pantry.”
• Banana Nut Bread: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=215721151775752
• Cranberry Pecan Bread: https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-nourishing-home/cranberry-pecan-bread/194759397205261
• Nuts for Pumpkin Bread: https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=293027800711753
• Need a snack in a hurry? How about simply toasting a piece of wholesome soaked, sprouted, or GF breadand top it with your favorite nut butter, a drizzle of raw honey and some sliced fresh fruit.
I hope this post has inspired you with a variety of ideas for healthy Real Food snacking! I would love to hear from you as well. So please feel free to share your favorite healthy snack recipes too! Many thanks and blessings, kel
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• Homestead Barn Hop: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2012/03/homestead-barn-hop-52.html