Snacks
More Snacks Picks
Healthy, Pre-Packaged Snacks
When trying to eat healthy, plan ahead and carry snack foods that fit your family's dietary goals. Having a nutritious snack available keeps you and your kids from being tempted by the high-calorie, sugar- and salt-laden foods sold in shops, cafeterias and vending machines. Buy pre-packaged snacks that offer nutrients from every food group to stave off hunger and stop junk food temptations.
Easy & Quick Vegetarian Snacks With Little Ingredients
Keeping vegetarian snacks available allows you to provide your family with healthy, often cholesterol-free items to munch on between meals. If you are hosting guests who are vegetarians, you may need to ask whether or not they will eat dairy and egg products. They also may avoid animal products entirely, a practice known as veganism.
Fun & Easy Snacks to Make
Make your kids' snack time even more enjoyable by creating fun and easy treats. Use healthy and convenient foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare nutritious after-school, weekend, between-meal and birthday-party snacks. Get creative with basic food items to make them more appealing to youngsters.
Carb-Free Snacks for Juvenile Diabetics
Snacks are a requirement, not an option, for the diabetic child. Including regular snacks in the daily meal plan can help ward off hunger and temptation, prevent blood sugar drops and give the child a boost of energy. Carb-free snacks can be an extra occasional treat, or useful on days when the carbohydrate count begins to get a little high.
Ideas for Quick Light Snacks
Even if you're trying to lose weight, you shouldn't ignore your hunger pangs. Instead, satisfy them with quick, light snacks, foods that will get you through until mealtime. According to the Mayo Clinic, "well-planned weight-loss diets" include healthy snacks. If your weight is not an issue and you are just looking for snacks that are good for you and your family, reach for fruits, vegetables, nuts and dairy products of the low-fat variety.
Healthy, Easy Snacks for Children to Make
When you incorporate healthy foods into your children's snack options, you'll help them to learn to make good food choices while they satisfy their hunger. Offering fruits and vegetables as part of every meal and using low-fat milk products for kids over the age of 5 will keep everyone on a balanced dietary track, as advised by the "2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans," published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As a bonus, your kids will also have fun putting the snacks together and coming up with new ways to combine the tasty ingredients you provide.
Quick Vegetarian Snacks
Plenty of quick, healthy vegetarian snacks that meet your needs for protein, iron, calcium and vitamins can be made easily and quickly. Some vegetarians eat meat products such as milk, eggs or even fish, while others -- vegans -- eat only plant products and nothing derived from animals. Choose snacks that help provide adequate nutrition for your family and meet the needs of your particular vegetarian diet restrictions.
DIY: Snacks
Healthy snacks can help children be more successful in school, particularly when meals have been skipped. Making snacks yourself allows you to use healthy ingredients and save money over packaged, store-bought versions. Whether making snacks for adults or kids, include healthy foods served in the proper serving size. After making large batches of snacks, divide them into serving sizes of approximately 100 calories to avoid over-eating.
How to Make a Sweet Snack
If you or your kids have a "sweet-tooth," it is possible to have sweet snacks without resorting to extremely unhealthy choices such as sugar-laden soft drinks, candy and donuts. Making homemade sweet snacks will help you avoid over-indulging in sugar in one of its many forms such as corn syrup, honey or sucrose. Choosing from healthier sweets helps control weight and blood sugar levels, and prevents tooth decay.
Snacks That Look Like Penguins
Whether the weather outside is frosty or it's the middle of summer, a penguin snack makes a fun treat. You can make snacks that look like penguins with a wide variety of ingredients, but the most difficult part is coming up with foods that look black to use as the dark parts of the penguin. If possible, let your little ones help assemble their snacks to save time and get them involved.
Quick Snack Basket Ideas
A day out with the kids can be a wonderful experience for everyone -- unless, of course, hungry kids turn into cranky kids. Whether you are going on a picnic, to the zoo or on a car trip, have snacks to keep the kids satisfied and full of energy. Instead of taking all morning preparing snacks for the day, fill a good-sized basket with quick and easy snacks. You'll thank yourself for saving your energy for wherever your excursion may take you.
How to Make a Protein Snack
Dieters have long fussed over carbohydrates and fat while overlooking another essential element of a balanced diet: protein. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, protein snacks can help ward off hunger pangs throughout the day and keep your blood sugar stable, which is especially important if you're at risk for diabetes or are trying to control your weight. Keep protein-rich snacks on hand to help get you through the day in a healthy way. Share these high-protein snacks with your kids to help them grow properly and fight off infection.
Do All Fruit Snacks Have Gelatin in Them?
Fruit snacks are an ideal way to give your kids nutrition throughout the school day. Kids love them because they taste great, and parents love them because many are healthier than other sweets. Most fruit snacks contain gelatin, which is made from animal products, to give fruit snacks the sticky texture that kids love. While there are few health risks associated with gelatin, there are many alternative fruit snacks if you don't want your child to ingest it.
Snack List for Students With a Peanut Allergy
Dealing with a school-age child’s peanut allergy can be a true challenge. It’s not just the difficulty of keeping your little one away from peanut products, it’s also dealing with all the snacks that are processed with peanuts in the same factory. Those trace amounts of nut oil can be enough to trigger a reaction, as noted in the warning label on many goods. However, even students with peanut allergies need tasty snack options.
What to Make for a Nighttime Snack
If you eat a healthy dinner and your stomach is still growling when bedtime nears, don't go to bed hungry. A light, healthy nighttime snack is important for kids and adults who experience late-night or middle-of-the-night hunger pangs. The key is knowing what foods make the best nighttime snacks.
How to Make a Panda Bear Snack for Preschool
Snacking between meals is essential for preschoolers, who have smaller tummies and need the extra energy to keep them going. Getting healthy snacks into your child, however, can be a different story. One way to do this is to make the healthy foods look cute, and few animals are cuter than pandas. Prepare panda snacks for your preschooler today.
Simple & Yummy Snacks
Those pre-packaged bags of cookies or crackers may seem quick and convenient, but they often contain nasty surprises that do your kids no good, such as trans fatty acids and artificial flavors. Instead, go for simple, yummy and more natural alternatives that tickle little taste buds while taking you just a few minutes to whip together. You can give your kids the nutritional foundation for a strong future without having to spend hours in the kitchen.
Snacks That Use Vegetables Imaginatively
When the mid-afternoon snack cravings hit, kids aren't likely to rush to the vegetable bin for something healthy. Instead of handing over a plain carrot, get creative with food pairings, presentations and preparations to entice kids into eating their vegetables or even playing with their food. Some imagination transforms regular vegetables into creative snacks for the whole family.
Snack Ideas for a Potluck
Who says you have to wait for dinner to enjoy potluck food? Snacking before dinner at your potluck can help make the evening last and provide a way for guests to mingle before sitting down to the table. Whether you keep it simple with classic party favorites or go for more exotic fare, pre-potluck snacks are a sure way to get the party started on a tasty note.
Snacks for Nighttime Sleep Aids
If your kids demand a snack before bedtime, you face a dilemma: how to satisfy them without giving them food that will keep them up all night. Definitely avoid giving them foods with high levels of caffeine or sugar, but also look for snacks that contain carbohydrates and tryptophan, a sleep-inducing amino acid. Foods with carbs and tryptophan will satisfy kids' nighttime cravings and put them to sleep.
Top Snacks
When you are trying to stick to a healthy eating plan, finding great snacks is crucial. The best snacks are quick to put together, easy to transport and full of healthy nutrients. Nutritious snacks will help you and your family get through the day without the hunger pains and blood sugar crashes that lead to diet sabotage.
Snacks to Bring to Camp
When your kids are away all day at camp, snacks can help them maintain a high energy level. Healthy snacks with a balance of carbs, protein and fat can keep your kids feeling full and energetic. Make snacks that will transport well and that will not go bad when sitting in your child's bag during the day. Keep the cold snacks cold by placing a small ice pack in your child's lunch box.
Should You Eat an Afternoon Snack?
A mini-meal in the middle of the afternoon can be part of a healthy diet. In the chaos of everyday life, putting together a snack may be the last thing on your mind, so think ahead. Stock your refrigerator with small baggies filled with nutritious snacks so your kids can grab one on the go.
The Best Potato Snacks
Potato snacks aren't generally considered healthy, but by choosing wisely you can serve them as a healthy snack for your family. Instead of potato chips, with around 550 calories for a 3 1/2 oz. serving, or French fries, with about 275 calories per serving, try baking oven fries with a small amount of healthy oil and seasoning for about 95 calories. Choose ready-made snacks prepared with healthy fats. With fresh potatoes and a packet of dressing and dip mix, you can make quick and easy savory potato snacks for your family.
Examples of 100-Calorie Snacks
Snacking between meals can be a positive step towards weight loss for adults and an easy way for kids to meet their daily nutritional requirements. The slight boost that you get from a snack can help carry you over until the next meal, allowing you and your family to perform well at work, school and after-school activities. Of course, the key to proper snacking is to limit the amount of calories that you eat during a snack. Companies have started to cater to this idea by creating 100-calorie snack packs, but these aren't your only options when looking for a snack.
Are Vending Machine Snacks Unhealthy?
Chocolate bars, greasy potato chips and sugary faux-fruit snacks are typical vending machine fare. These coin-operated conveniences are never the first place you should look for a healthy snack, but they can contain reasonable options that will not derail your diet. Take the time to get acquainted with common vending machine offerings so you can make the best choices for you and your family.
Wheat Berry Snacks
Wheat berries are the hard, red grains of wheat that have been soaked and cooked until tender and chewy. Their robust flavor pairs well with savory ingredients for hearty, nutritious meals, or with fruit, yogurt and honey for healthy snacks. Pour boiling water over wheat berries in a thermos and seal. The wheat berries will be tender by lunch time.
The Best Non-Fattening Snack
Children's caloric needs range from 1,000 calories per day to 1,800 calories or more, depending on age, activity level and gender. Over one-third of those calories are consumed through after-school snacks, according to Iowa State University. Make the calories count by offering tasty, nutrient-dense snacks. Schedule a set time for snacks and monitor portions, rather than allowing children to snack throughout the afternoon.
Colorful Snack Ideas for Preschoolers
Preschoolers may not be growing as quickly as they did during their first two years, but they still need between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day to stay healthy. Between their small stomachs and picky palettes, though, getting preschoolers adequate nutrition can be a challenge. One way to keep your little ones healthy is to offer healthy snacks throughout the day. Fish-shaped crackers and cheese are always favorites, but offering more colorful snacks keeps preschoolers' diet balanced and nutritious.
Varieties of Snacks
Kids have a hard time hanging on between meals, which is why after-school and bedtime snacks have become common fare in many families. While you don't want your children to struggle with growling stomachs hours before dinner, this doesn't mean you have to resort to the cookie jar or microwaved snacks to get them through the day. Keep a variety of healthy snacks on hand to give them varied nutrition and flavor.
What Are Good Snacks to Give Before a Test?
Nutritious food fuels your child's body and brain so she is able to better focus on studying and test-taking. Skip the sugary snacks on test day as the energy boost ends much sooner. Instead, send nutritious snacks for your child to eat before her test. And send a bottle of water for your child to wash down her snacks to keep her hydrated and better focused on the testing.
Easy No-Bake or Stove Top Snacks & Desserts
In the heat of summer, you don't want to turn the oven on to bake a batch of brownies or cookies, but you still want to serve something sweet for dessert. There are a number of desserts and snacks you can make without any heat at all. If you don't mind using the stove top, you can make plenty of sweets, from steamed cobblers to candies such as fudge.
What Kinds of Snacks Are Good for Card Night?
The last thing you want when playing card games is for a player to get bright orange cheese powder all over a deck of cards or accidentally mark the most important card in the game with a fingerprint of chocolate syrup. Choose family game night snacks that are easy to eat one-handed but will leave the playing hand clean and ready to continue with the game. Include kid-friendly ingredients, then get your kids involved in making snacks before the players assemble for a night of fun.
Is Bread a Fattening Snack?
When it comes to a quick, convenient and on-the-go snack, bread is a top choice for busy moms. But rumblings about slashing carbohydrates in an effort to increase health might have you confused about the nutritional value of your old standby snack. Understand the ways you can healthfully keep bread as a part of your snacking routine to ease your worries about bread's nutritional punch.
Are Snacks During Class Bad?
Most students must wait several hours between meals, and snacks can help them make it through to the next meal. This could be especially true for students who skip breakfast or have to wait a bit longer until lunch. Snack policies vary widely from school to school and class to class, so it's important to know where your child's teacher stands on the issue.
How to Make Tasty Snacks for Fat Loss
One of the secrets to longterm fat loss is to eat fewer calories without feeling deprived. Don't give up your afternoon and evening snacks -- simply switch them with others more in line with your weight-loss program. Trick your body into being satisfied with salty, crunchy or sweet treats with fewer calories and less fat. You and your kids can still enjoy snacks while losing fat and getting healthier.
Yummy and Easy to Make Snacks
Although eating three square meals a day is a cornerstone of nutrition, snacks are also a yummy and healthy part of every day. When your kids need a quick bite after school or as tasty treats on the go, toss together some convenient snacks that will satisfy your kids' appetites.
How to Make a Quick Snack Made of Ramen Noodles
Ramen noodles are versatile. Uncooked, they add crunch to salads and munchy mixes, and they go well with dips. Cooked, the noodles combine with cheeses, beans or sauces for a satisfying warm snack. Experiment with uncooked ramen noodles in place of snack foods such as chips and popcorn, or combine them with crunchy cereal and spices to make a snack mix. However you try them, ramen noodles are quick to cook and even quicker to use raw.
100-Calorie Snacks With Peanut Butter
Peanut butter packs a lot of nutrition, with 4 g of protein, about 8 percent of the daily Vitamin E requirement and only 94 calories in 1 tbsp. According to the National Peanut Board, kids eat 1,500 peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches by the time they finish high school. If you're looking for a way to give them a little more variety along with the peanut butter, ditch the plain white bread and think about fruits, veggies, crackers and even an occasional cookie to pair with the popular spread for a delicious 100-calorie snack.
Easy Kids' Smoothies
Sneaking nutritious foods into any child's diet can be a difficult task to accomplish. However, fruit smoothies are an easy way to get kids enthusiastic about healthy food. The creamy drinks have the smooth texture of a milkshake with the sweet flavor of fruit and are versatile enough to customize for even the pickiest eaters.
Rainbow Snack Ideas
Make some rainbow-colored treats as a culinary option to brighten your child's day and to add some color to snack time. Bringing the bright colors of rainbows out of the sky and into the kitchen can help get your children excited about eating and about eating healthy. Apart from dishing out multi-colored candies to your kids, there are several ideas that can help you bring rainbow snacks to life.
How to Roast Almonds Healthily
Almonds and other nuts contain a good amount of protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats. A 1-ounce serving of almonds has 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Almonds are also a good source of minerals such as magnesium and vitamins such as B-6, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. Roasting almonds at home is a quick way to prepare a simple snack for you and your children. Use herbs and spices to add flavor to the almonds.
