Salt Lake City, UT -- (ReleaseWire) -- 10/28/2021 --An after-school snack is a wonderful way for children to recharge after school, but coming up with healthy snacks that kids will eat can be challenging.
"Snack time is a great opportunity to provide delicious, nutritious food," said Sara Browning, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Intermountain McKay-Dee Hospital. "It's also an opening for parents to have fun with the way they serve healthy snacks."
Browning gives some tips to help make snack time healthy, easy, delicious, and fun:
Establish a regular snack routine. Offer snacks at the table at a set time after school to help kids avoid grazing and establish healthy eating routines.
Offer fruits, veggies, and other healthy foods rather than quick processed options. Browning offers these examples:
- Celery with peanut butter and raisins (ants on a log)
- Crackers with cheese and cherry tomatoes
- Pretzels with almond butter and milk
- Yogurt and berries
- Half peanut butter and jelly sandwich
- Applesauce and crackers
- Toast with avocado and milk
- Cucumber slices with hummus or ranch dip
- Whole grain muffin and apple slices.
"Make it fun with dips, sprinkles, and easy cookie cutter cutouts," said Browning. "Allow kids to mix and match the healthy foods they enjoy."
Offer sweets sparingly. "It's ok to offer cookies and milk or other sweet treats on occasion but avoid this every day," said Browning.
Browning adds that many of snack ideas can be modified for toddlers. For safety, remember to:
- Avoid foods that can cause choking such as whole grapes or hot dogs
- Avoid hard foods such as nuts or raw carrots
- Avoid sticky foods such as nut butters
- Cut food into small pieces and stay with your toddler while they eat.
About Intermountain Healthcare
Intermountain Healthcare is a nonprofit system of 25 hospitals, 225 clinics, a Medical Group with 2,600 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians, a health insurance company called SelectHealth, and other health services in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in clinical quality improvement and in efficient healthcare delivery. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org, read our blogs, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.