Healthy Snacks for Kids

Do you often find your children asking for snacks between meals? This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

According to Beverly Anderson, Executive Director of Ebenezer Child Care Centers with locations in Milwaukee, Mequon, Greenfield, Oak Creek, and Wauwatosa, “More and more research is revealing that we may be better off eating smaller meals and allowing ourselves to have a healthy snack twice a day to better maintain our metabolism and energy levels.”

“For example, if you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., your body may experience a dip and need a healthy snack around 10 a.m. to keep you going until lunchtime at noon. Likewise, in the afternoon, you may need a snack around 3 p.m. to keep you going until dinner at 6 p.m.”

So what would be considered a healthy snack for you and your children to eat in between meals? Here are some helpful ideas:

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

According to Anderson, “Seasonal fruits and veggies are a wonderful snack for children and adults.”

For example, a single pear can provide up to six grams of fiber which is 24 percent of the recommended daily fiber for adults. Apples, which are another great source of fiber, are nutritious snacks as well…especially when dipped into peanut butter which is high in protein.

Other great healthy fruit or veggie snack ideas include carrots dipped in hummus or low-fat ranch dressing, celery served with peanut butter and raisins, fresh fruit or veggie kabobs, and smoothies made with blended fruits or vegetables.

Dairy

According to Anderson, “Many people discount the idea of being able to have a healthy snack that is in the dairy category. However, most dairy products are high in calcium and protein and therefore an important part of all of our diets. Healthy snack choices in this category include low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese and salt-free pretzel sticks speared into low-fat cheese.”

Grains

Anderson adds that grains also play an important role in proper nutrition. Homemade banana bread, zucchini muffins, and carrot bars as well as whole-grain cereals and granola bars all make good healthy snacks.

“The key is to watch the fat and sugar levels in these foods and try to make or purchase them with whole grains, so they are higher in fiber and will leave you feeling full,” says Anderson.

“Even whole-grain waffles quartered and served with a little low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins would make a good healthy snack,” says Anderson. “The key is to think outside the box and not take the easy way out by reaching for a bag of prepackaged snacks which are often high in calories, sodium, and fat and low in fiber.”

Ebenezer Child Care Centers will be hosting a FREE Family Fun Night on “Healthy Kids Snacks” on Tuesday, March 20, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at their Oak Creek Child Care Center located at 220 West Forest Hill Avenue. Snacks
are a bigger part of kids' diets than in the past. Snacks can make positive or
negative contributions to kids' diets - depending on the choices we offer. Come
to this Family Fun Night for many suggestions for "Healthy Kids
Snacks!" Activities will include creating a fruit and vegetable collage,
serving up healthy meals in the dramatic play area, and making a healthy trail
mix. In addition to these activities, you will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner on us! Registration is required. Please call 414-643-5070 to register.

Ebenezer Child Care Centers is a not-for-profit, locally based agency committed to providing early childhood programs from the heart. The agency prides itself on being different from other child care providers in that it offers a home-like
atmosphere; individualized, nurturing care; and a structured curriculum that is
virtues-based for every child’s developmental stage.

Every Ebenezer Child Care Center focuses on all aspects of a child’s development: cognitive, physical, emotional, and social. In addition to providing
quality care, the agency also offers a variety of free Family Fun Nights and
other educational programming all aimed at helping parents.

The agency has locations in downtown Milwaukee, on Milwaukee’s southside, in Greenfield, Mequon, Oak Creek, and Wauwatosa. The agency’s main office is located at 1496 South 29th Street, Milwaukee. For more information, please call 414-643-5070 or visit the agency’s website at www.ebenezerchildcare.com.