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Healthy Kid Snack RecipesDoes finding healthy kid snack recipes seem an impossible task? Especially right after school, when the kids are trying to tear down the cupboard doors before you can think? Fear not. Following are short cuts and tips to help healthy kid snack recipes be fun and interesting! Involve the KidsNothing is worse than when you don't get to voice your opinion. Why should kids feel any different? Make them feel important and special by asking them what they like (or don’t like, as the case may be). Involve them in the shopping, choosing and preparing of snacks when at all possible. After all, if you get to help pick out something, you tend to like it more anyway.Kids like to help cook, bake or stir, even when it doesn’t seem like they are helping. Letting them help builds their self-esteem and confidence, not to mention it may help develop a hobby for them! For instance, if you are having baby carrots, let the kids wash them in the sink. If you will be needing utensils, let them get the supplies out of the drawer. You can also let them get out plates, napkins, cups or paper towels. For more information on
Cooking with Kids
, see this page from www.the-childrens-guide.com (This link will open a separate page so that you can continue reading this one.) Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a great way to create a fun learning experience. There are many ways to get your child engaged in the cooking process. The best part about cooking with your kids will be the memories that will be made in the process. Your child will remember all the fun they had when they helped mom or dad cook. These are memories that will last a lifetime. Pick Foods They LikeWhen searching for a recipe, make sure it includes ingredients your kids will like. There is no sense in provoking their gag reflex if you don’t have to. Popular recipes will use apples, peanut butter, raisins, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese or other fruits and vegetables. Kids still need the fat from dairy products for brain development, so don’t worry about how much they are getting until they are closer to their teens.If it’s a food you know they liked as a baby, but have since turned their nose up at, be creative. Add a bit of banana to the smoothie you whipped up. Slide a tablespoon of wheat germ into the banana muffins. Shredded zucchini and carrots can be snuck into almost any type of muffin in little bits. Make it a ContestChildren have a natural desire to be competitive. Use this to your advantage when making your healthy kid snack recipes! Have a house building, monster creating, or creature contest. Use ingredients like peanut butter, cheese or cream cheese to use as glue. All other pieces can be assembled and built into the “contest” form. Crackers, vegetables and fruit all can be used creatively to build animals, houses, dinosaurs, castles and monsters.Take PicturesAs with any contest, take pictures of the winners (even though everybody is a winner!) Post pictures in a popular area so they can be looked at often, so when a picky phase starts, point to the picture and say, "See, you liked it and you had fun."Let the Children ChooseGive each child a certain day of the week where they pick what the snack will be. Plan it out the week before so you can have all the ingredients on hand. Not only do they have responsibility for finding healthy snack recipes, it gives them reading practice (and they might not even realize it).Have Theme Days or WeeksUse theme days or weeks when making healthy kid snack recipes. For an “Under the Sea” week, try tuna fish salad on crackers one day and goldfish crackers another day. The food doesn’t have to be from the sea, it can be shaped that way. Use fish cookie cutters to cut cheese, bread slices or fruit (bananas, melon, apple slices).Have a dairy delicious week using all dairy products. Pick green foods all week for another crazy theme. Let the kids’ imagination run wild with themes! These may turn into some of their best memories as adults.
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