Providing good nutrition for kids is essential. Having a good supply of healthy snacks for preschoolers is necessary because young children can't eat enough at each meal. Three meals a day don't provide enough calories and other nutrients for a day of activity and exploration.
To fill the gap in your child's nutritional needs, you should have a good supply of healthy snacks. These healthy, fun snacks for kids should be a planned part of their nutrition rather than on-demand treats as the snacks may provide 20% of your child's daily needs.
How to Choose Healthy Snacks for Kids
You should provide most of your child's nutrition from these food groups:
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Lean protein
- Dairy
When you plan daily meals, deciding on your child's snacks becomes simpler. Use meals to meet daily recommendations for calorie, protein and other nutrient intake. Then use snacks to fill any missing needs.
Whole, fresh and unprocessed foods are the most healthy snacks for children—fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and meats; and home-cooked meals.
Your preschooler needs 1,300 calories a day. Choosing healthy snacks for preschoolers gives them the energy they need for an active day. Accordingly, they should have 1½ cups each of vegetables and fruits. Build your snack menu from these essential food groups and choose healthy options whenever possible.
Keep portion sizes small and time your child's snacks so that they are hungry for lunch and dinner. Snacks should be scheduled and not available all day on demand.
Nutrition and a Balanced Diet Matters
Try to avoid empty calories such as fruit juices. Fresh fruit contain as much energy, and is an easy way to add fiber to your child's diet.
Most children do not eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables with their meals. Use your snack menu to add these essential, nutrient dense foods to your child's diet.
Fats are essential for a balanced diet. While trans fat—such as the kind found in heavily processed food—should be avoided, not all fats have to be avoided. Children need some fats for growth and brain development. These healthy fats, which contain omega-3 fats that are good for the heart and brain, can be found in oily fish like salmon and sardines and can be included routinely in your child's diet.
Easy Snacks for Kids
Snacks for preschoolers should be easy to prepare. Some healthy, fun snacks for kids:
Fruits. Apple slices or rings with peanut butter, canned fruit, applesauce, fresh seasonal fruit by itself or with yogurt, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese, dried fruits like raisins.
Vegetables. Baby carrots, fresh vegetables with a low-fat dip, celery with peanut butter, 100% vegetable juice, soft cooked vegetables with hummus or yogurt, grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, or cheese and veggie quesadillas.
Grains. Trail mix (cereal, dried fruit, and nuts), cereals, graham crackers, wheat crackers, bread or bagels with cream cheese spreads, hummus.
Proteins. Mixed nuts, tuna salad, hard-boiled eggs, bean dip, pita pocket filled with lean sliced meat or tuna, muffins or pita bread topped with grated cheese or lean cuts of meat.
Dairy. Cheeses, yogurt, flavored low-fat milk, cottage cheese with fruit.
Snacks for Preschoolers to Avoid
Not everything that can be eaten is suitable for children. Some foods are high in calories and poor in other essential nutrients. Soft drinks and juice drinks with added sugar, for example, are packed with sugar but have little else. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that juice has no essential role in the healthy, balanced diets of children. Fresh fruit should be consumed instead.
If toddlers like juice, they should be limited to 4 ounces a day below age 3 years, and 6 ounces for children 4 to 6 years old.
Similarly, deep-fried food contains a lot of saturated fat and salt. Cookies with high sugar content, brownies, doughnuts, and similar baked foods should not be on your table.
Serving such foods as snacks for children has two undesirable outcomes. The high amounts of sugar, sodium, and fats are harmful. Secondly, when children anticipate such food at snack time, they eat less of the healthy food you serve at the major meals.
Avoid processed food sold in bags and boxes. Such food doesn't provide your child many nutrients and often has added sugar and salt.
Avoid sticky food like dried food and fruit leather. These stick to the teeth and cause cavities. If your child does eat them, make sure they brush their teeth soon after.
Serving Snacks for Preschoolers
When preparing pre-K snacks, try to make sure the food is
- Attractive to look at and smell
- Served neither too hot nor cold
- Crisp, chewy, or soft
- Mildly flavored
- Brightly colored and interestingly shaped, if possible
Don't let children feel that meals have to be endured, and that the real fun is at snack time. Be consistent in choosing healthy and nutritious food items for every meal and snack. When out of the house, carry healthy snacks, so you don't have to buy processed food.
Preschool children are developing their eating habits, so encourage your child to eat healthy meals and snacks, and limit their access to unhealthy and processed food. Don't supply unhealthy food as a treat. Teaching your child good food habits will serve them for their lifetime and keep them healthy.