For growing children, the spaces between healthy meals can be hungry ones! To pick up flagging energy and stop tummy- grumbling grizzles, there’s nothing like a handy snack. There’s good news: snacks can be convenient, delicious and healthy and if the right foods are offered at the right times, snacks can play an important role in managing hunger and boosting that nutrition.
Kids who are allowed to graze all day often have a hard time figuring out when they are truly hungry – one key to maintaining a healthy weight in childhood. You offer the meals and snacks at the same times each day and your kids can decide what they want to eat and how much.
The easiest guide to a healthy snack is the same as with any food: home-made from fresh ingredients is always better. You can cut out additives, preservatives and empty calories right there. Even enriched pre-made foods have valuable nutrients missing, so having some handy ideas for your own snacks is great.
These snack are easy
- freshly-made popcorn (Take care to seek organic popcorn since most conventional popcorn will have been sprayed with pesticides, see recipe below)
- trail mix (soaked and dehydrated nuts, seeds and unsulphured dried fruit)
- organic fruit and cheese (raw and full fat cheese) kebabs made from small cubes of cheese, melon and grapes on skewers.
- homemade tortilla chips that you can make from baking a few tortillas wraps until crisp, then cutting them into small wedge shapes
- hard-boiled free range eggs, sliced and topped with a little mayonnaise or cream cheese
- Get kids used to vegetables like celery and baby carrots by making it a crunch-game! Pair them with a cottage cheese dip.
Juice may be made from fruit, but it’s all the sugar without the valuable fiber - and extra sugar is often added to juices. Put diluted juice, water or whole raw milk on the menu as these a good choices for growing little ones.
Making popcorn the great way!
You’ll need:
- ¼ cup of popcorn kernels.
- 3 tablespoons of coconut oil or tallow (beef fat)
- 3 tablespoons of clarified butter
- Himalayan salt
- A pot with a lid (very important!)
- A spoon
- Put the coconut oil in your pot and add a few kernels – put the lid on and turn the stove to medium heat.
- Once a kernel pops, add the rest and cover the pot again, but leave a tiny gap so that steam can escape.
- When most of the kernels have popped (you’ll know because the pop, pop, pop starts to slow down) remove the pot from the stove. Once the popping stops altogether, empty your popcorn into a bowl.
- Melt the butter in the empty pot and stir until it stops bubbling, then pour over the popcorn and sprinkle Himalayan salt on top. Mix through with a spoon and serve.
The oldest ears of popcorn ever found came from Mexico - they were over 4000 years old!
Before microwaves and stoves, hot sand was used to provide the heat to pop corn kernels.
A single popcorn kernel bursts with such force that it can shoot up to 3 feet in the air!
Sprout and Eat up kids have collaborated and will be showcasing ideas for healthy snacks for children.
If you are running out of snack ideas for the kids and feel like there isn’t time, it’s easy to reach for the crackers and juice - but it doesn’t have to be that way. Come and get inspired at the Little Deer Market https://www.facebook.com/BabyandKidsMarket/?fref=ts.
Our two great initiatives about healthy eating for children are collaborating to bring you easy, fresh and healthy food options for the kids. Starting with babies, and including ideas for toddlers through to teens, we are showcasing Healthy and Delicious Snacks live. Come and see us at the Little Deer Market on 28th August, and get a taste and a demo of the snack affair!
The collaborators
Sprout Kids is a dynamic initiative by Liesel Grobbelaar that makes mindful healthy eating for kids easy. Her tagline is Nuture By Nature, and it is all about turning fresh and natural choices into a lifestyle. Sprout Kids produce natural snacks, finger foods
Eat Up Kids is the idea of Louise Johnson, a professional chef with a passion for natural ingredients, sustainability and delicious food. Eat Up Kids serves up healthy, hearty and seasonal dishes to a Montessori school every day.