Easy Nutritional Snacks for Kids

When preparing easy nutritional snacks for your kids, focus on foods that are filling and packed with vitamins. However, making a healthy snack doesn't have to be time-consuming. By keeping in mind simple core ingredients from several categories, you'll have a list of nutritious snacks on hand.

Cereal

• Breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals your child needs to stay healthy, and even the pickiest kids will usually eat them. Choose a cereal that does not have much added sugar and is packed with whole grains, such as Cheerios or granola. Serve it with milk for an extra calcium boost. If you're on the go, pack a serving of dry cereal in a baggie or a container with a lid.

Eggs

• Eggs contain a lot of protein, which keeps stomachs fuller longer. Because of this, they're great to eat right before leaving home for a few hours. To make sure you have cooked eggs on hand, hard-boil a batch and keep them unpeeled in the refrigerator. Another simple snack is to scramble or fry an egg and wrap it in a tortilla or slice of bread.

Veggies

• Keep vegetable sticks in the refrigerator for snack time. They're nutritious, low in calories and fat, and won't spoil appetites if eaten between meals. Branch out from the traditional veggies; while carrot and celery sticks are the most common, sliced zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers and snow peas add variety to your child's diet. Serve vegetable sticks with low-fat ranch dip or hummus.

Fruit

• Fruit can be eaten on the go and is generally a crowd-pleaser. If your child can't handle whole crunchy fruits, such as apples and pears, slice them up to 24 hours in advance. Toss the sliced fruit with a few drops of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown, then store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. To get an extra serving of calcium, dish up a side of yogurt to dunk the fruit in.

Peanut Butter

• Peanut butter is full of protein. Besides the usual peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, peanut butter can also be consumed as a dip with fruits and vegetables. Spread it on whole-wheat bagels or tortillas, or eat it on whole-grain crackers. If your child has a peanut allergy, other types of nut butters also pack a nutritional punch.

Cheese

• Cheese contains calcium and protein. String cheese is a nutritious on-the-go snack, especially when paired with a piece of fruit or some vegetables. Or cube a block of cheese and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you have a bit more time, make a snack of cheese on whole-grain crackers or a microwaved cheese quesadilla. Grilled-cheese sandwiches can also be a nutritional snack, as long as they're made on whole-wheat bread and don't contain too much butter.