Feeding my children healthy has not only been a priority since day one but has also brought me so much joy! Studies show that the foods we introduce to our kids at a young age has a lasting impact. We are responsible for developing their adult palettes. No pressure, right? 🙂 Kids don’t need gourmet meals, just simple, whole foods that nourish their little bodies. This page is full of fun, easy and healthy snack ideas that you can implement daily!
For our family, we choose to not eat out that often. Restaurant food makes it more challenging to keep a healthy diet and body, even for kids. Not only is the quality of restaurant food not the same as the homemade versions, but most restaurants have hidden ingredients in their meals like excess sugars, preservatives, and excess pesticides and msg. I know, it is fun to eat out! If you choose to go out on occasion, try packing some kid enzymes to help break down toxins like glyphosate in the meal. (This is what we give our boys when we go out and they love them!) Also, if the kids menu is lacking some healthy options, which I usually find to be the case, try splitting your meal with your child or having multiple kids share an adult option.
| Restaurant food makes it more challenging to keep a healthy diet and body, even for kids. |
In terms of restricting foods, I try not to be that overbearing parent that says no to everything. (Mentally, this is a challenge for me because my natural self IS that overbearing parent that wants to say NO to all the unhealthy foods, haha). However, I know if I don’t allow them to try new things out for themselves and experience the consequences then they will never learn on their own. I simply don’t keep unhealthy food options in the house. And when we are traveling or out I let the boys try the sweets and inform them if they eat too much their belly may hurt. My 4 year old now knows after experience that mama speaks the truth and has learned to eat just enough sweets to enjoy the food without letting it hurt his belly. He is now in control of the food instead of it controlling him. A self-control lesson that is often hard for adults to learn, including myself!
Quick & Healthy Snack Ideas:
One of the boys favorite snacks (and mine) is a smoothie. Fruit makes the drink taste delicious and I try to sneak in all the superfoods and healthy fats or proteins. Smoothies are so much fun because you can change the flavors up and the boys love to give their opinion on what fruits or toppings to use. We sometimes make a smoothie bowl bar where the boys can choose all their fun superfood toppings!
If you want your kids to eat more veggies, in addition to sneaking them into foods, try to make a fun game or challenge out of them. For example, celery with peanut butter and chocolate chips or raisins make celery a bit more appealing to eat. Or pretending our carrots are soldiers that are diving into a big pool of homemade ranch dressing makes it fun! This really works well with my toddler boys! They think its hysterical that after their carrots take a dip in the “pool” they get to bite their heads off!
Olives are a great snack! Salty and easy to eat, rich in healthy fats and antioxidants to fight inflammation. Asher and Judah down these any time of day!
Berries are a quick and healthy snack that are full of antioxidants. Throw them on top of plain yogurt or bring them to the park with a bag of nuts and seeds. My boys love snacking on berries with a salty snack of pistachios or pumpkin seeds. Try Go Raw sprouted seeds for an extra dose of nutrients.
So many baby and toddler snacks are high in carbs, sugars, hydrogenated oils and new studies are showing heavy metals. I’m often surprised to pick up a packaged baby food, read the ingredients, and see what they decide to put in some of these treats. While carbs and sugars are necessary, especially for growing bodies, many of these snacks reach the limit and lack the tools to keep our kids satiated. Instead, try breaking off pieces of your healthy snack or bar. A good rule of thumb, the less a food is packaged, the better!
My boys also love grass-fed beef sticks or a nut bar. I list our favorites below! They are full of protein to keep their belly’s full and their blood sugar stable.
Not all energy bars are healthy, but the good ones are a great choice, especially when on the go. Avoid the ones with excess sugars and look for the ones that are rich in healthy fats. We like Macro Bars, Thunderbird, Lara bars, and homemade bars.
Most chips are full of ingredients such as modified canola oil, toxic yeast extract, or hidden preservatives and sugars. However, Siete chips are an excellent choice for a healthy snack! Made of avocado oil and simple ingredients. We love all the flavors! Try dipping them in guacamole or having them with cut up fruit and cheese.
These are just a few of our favorite healthy snacks to keep our baby boys healthy and full. There are numerous healthy and fun snacks for kids. What are your favorites? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
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