FAMILY MEAL PLANNING: PART FIVE THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY SNACKS + SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS AND RECIPE

Incorporating at least two healthy snacks into the kids daily meal plan is essential to ensure the daily nutritional requirements are being met. It will also help to make sure that the kids are making it through the busy day with all of the energy they need to have a fun-filled and active day!

Snacks should be chosen according to your meal plan for that day, it's important to be sure that we are meeting our daily requirements without "overdoing" it in one particular area. So, for example, if you have not met the daily requirement for protein then be sure to choose a snack item that will provide the needed protein (fresh plain yogurt).

Here are some great healthy snack ideas that are easy to prepare and easy to pack into their lunch boxes (for lunch box snacks be mindful of peanut/nut restrictions)

Banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
Homemade Trail mix: small handful of peanuts, raisins or other dried fruit, plus a few carob covered nuts
Small container of Munchie Mix (see recipe)
2 whole-wheat crackers with 1 ounce of goats cheese and handful of grapes
Salsa with a few tortilla chips
½ multi-grain bagel topped with ¼ cup hummus and cucumber slices
1 stalk of celery with 1 tablespoon almond butter
Homemade muffin made with whole grain flour, fruit, and sweetened with honey or maple syrup
Bowl of whole grain cereal or oatmeal, with soy milk
½ cup plain organic yogurt with fruit
Popcorn (air popped)
1 Snack Bar (see recipe)

Snack Bars

½ cup peanut butter (peanuts only) or other nut butter

½ cup honey

Melt together in pot on stove

Add any of the following until thick and blobby:

Unsweetened coconut Dried cranberries

Puffed cereal Raisins

Dried fruit (chopped) Oatmeal

Seeds (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin) Nuts

Spread into buttered 9”x9” glass pan and slice into bars. Refridgerate for a couple of hours to set Enjoy!

Munchie Mix

Toss an assortment of the following raw nuts and seeds with a minimal amount of olive oil (i.e. ½ tsp.) and sea salt (optional) and spread in one layer on a baking sheet:

Almonds Brazil nuts

Chestnuts Hazel Nuts

Hickory nuts Macadamia nuts

Pecans Pine nuts

Pumpkin seeds Sunflower seeds

Walnuts

Bake at 250 degrees for 10-20 minutes. Cool and add in a variety of the following:

Unsweetened cranberries Raisins

Apricots (chopped) Prunes (chopped)

Good quality chocolate chips

Yummy Yogurt Pops

1 cup plain yogurt

¾ cup frozen orange juice concentrate

¾ cup cow’s milk, soy milk, or rice milk

In a blender, add all ingredients. Cover and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into 12 popsicle molds or 6 (3oz) paper cups. Freeze until partially firm, then insert wooden stick into each pop. Freeze until firm.

Be sure to check out Parts 1-4 of this 5 Part Series:

Sending A Wish Your Way For A Well BALANCED Day

Jenny