healthykids Smacking Good Snacks
NATURALLY HEALTHY CHOICES KIDS CRAVE by Judith Fertig
A
dults may think in terms of three meals a day, but kids are natural grazers, enjoying small portions of lots of different foods throughout the day. So it makes sense for parents to expand the notion of snack time and to have healthy foods ready when hunger strikes at a moment’s notice.
If kids can understand that a snack simply means a smaller portion of a good-for-us food instead of a processed item with empty calories, the rest is easy. More, when kids can help pre- pare the snack and are more in- vested in the process, they’re
also more likely to eat
it, advises Marina Ganter, a former re- searcher with Bon Appétit and Gourmet and the mother of daughters Zoe and Charlotte, ages 9 and 7.
The following ideas for premade, easy-to prepare snacks will curb hunger and deliciously nourish children. It’s easy to keep several options on hand and form good eating habits early.
Naturally Sweet ~ “One way for your kids to enjoy healthy snacks is to get them started on naturally sweet foods,” says Christine Steendahl, of
KidApprovedMeals.com and
DineWithoutWhine.com, which sell menus and shopping lists to parents looking for guidance in meal prepara- tion. “Since most kids crave sweets… naturally sweet foods such as fruits are perfect.” Real bananas, oranges, apples, cherries, strawberries and other fruits are popular with most kids. She suggests, “You can mix in yogurt or even make a fruit smoothie with some milk and a drop of chocolate or other natural flavors.” Or cut a firm, ripe banana (a good
source of potassium) in half horizontally and insert a frozen treat stick in the cut end. Then, roll or brush the banana in antioxidant-rich, melted choc- olate chips. Kids like these fresh or frozen; if frozen, let the chocolate-coated bananas cool, then wrap and freeze them for up to a month.
Frozen Yogurt ~ Jessica Seinfeld, author of Deceptively Delicious (DeceptivelyDelicious. com), is the mother of Sascha, 9, Julian, 7, and Shepherd, 4, and the wife of comedian
26 Collier/Lee Counties
swfl.naturalawakeningsmag.com
Jerry Seinfeld. She makes frozen yogurt “lollies” (frozen lollipops) by puréeing a 16-ounce carton of plain yogurt with two or more cups of fresh or frozen berries in a blender or food processor. She then pours the mixture into frozen treat molds. “Your kids think they’re just getting a treat,” she smiles, “but these lollies are a great low-calorie, low-fat alternative to high-fat ice cream.”
Little Plates ~ Ganter celebrates her family’s French/Greek heritage with mezedes, or “meze”—little plates of lots
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