Healthy snacks that kids can make with little to no supervision will keep them from eating too many sweets. Keep a combination of fruits and vegetables available for them to munch on, make easy snacks and get nutrition from. The more selection they have the easier it will be for them to make good food choices.
Frozen fruit is a good snack that kids can do themselves. The fruit can be either fresh or canned. If using canned be sure to use the no sugar added variety. Line a cookie sheet with foil and place the fruit on it. Set it in the freezer and freeze until firm. Pull the fruit off of the foil and store in zip lock bags. You can also put the entire can of fruit, juice and all in a container and freeze until solid. Grapes work especially well as a frozen fruit snack. They simply need to be removed from the stem, placed into a container and frozen. If they stick together they can easily be separated by gently shaking the container. Eat the frozen fruit as is or make a fruit dip. Add the fruit to plain or vanilla yogurt for a quick and easy treat. Cottage cheese can be mixed with any kind of fruit to make a tasty snack.
Fruity Shake: 1 cup frozen fruit, 1/2 vanilla ice cream, 2 cups milk. Blend until smooth. A fruit dip is easy to make. Simply mix together 8 ounces of soft cream cheese and one 7 ounce jar of marshmallow fluff. You can add nuts to give the dip a crunch or a pinch of nutmeg for flavor. Apple slices and peanut butter make a quick and nutritious snack. Peanut butter can also be put on celery. Add raisins and you have Ants On a Log. Try peanut butter with different fruits and vegetables.
Pre-cut fresh vegetables from the store can be a fast and easy snack. Trying dipping them in salad dressing or hummus. Make a veggie sandwich. Fill pita bread or a soft tortilla with vegetables or salad. Drizzle with a light dressing, roll up and enjoy. Add cooked chicken or turkey if desired. Easy hummus for kids: 1 can chickpeas, drained, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon garlic and the juice from one lemon. Combine all ingredients. With a grown-up to supervise, placed into a food processor and puree until smooth.
Make a healthy trail mix. Add one cup each of unsalted peanuts, dried fruit cut into bits, raisins, dried cranberries and whole wheat unsweetened cereal. You can also add chocolate or peanut butter chips if desired, but not more than 1/4 cup.