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Quick & Easy Snacks for Kids

Busy families can have difficulty finding on-the-go snacks at grocery stores that are both healthy to eat and easy to make. One alternative is to make your own quick and easy snacks using natural ingredients at home. You can prepare the snacks ahead of time so that they will be easy for your child to take along later.

  1. Granola Bars

    • You can make a batch of granola bars out of healthy whole grains and dried fruit, which you can store in a plastic container to grab and go as needed. To make granola bars, combine 1 cup of crushed peanuts, 2 cups of oats, 1 cup of wheat germ and 1 cup of sunflower seeds in a bowl, mixing well. In a sauce pan, combine 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 stick butter, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt. Heat until melted, and pour into the oat mixture. Stir well, and add in 8 oz. of dried fruit. Spread the mixture onto waxed paper, and let it sit for 1 hour. Cut into bars, and wrap individually with plastic wrap or waxed paper.

    Dried Fruit Leathers

    • Fruit leathers that are purchased in a store often contain preservatives and artificial colors that are not healthy to eat. One alternative is to make your own homemade fruit leathers that contain only natural ingredients. You can wrap the fruit leathers in plastic wrap to make them easy to eat on the run. Peel and chop 4 lbs. of fruit, such as apples, cherries, peaches or plums. Boil the chopped fruit in a pot with water until the fruit is soft, then drain out the water. Mash the fruit with a potato masher, and add in 3 tbsp. of sugar and 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Cook for 10 minutes. Spread the mixture onto a plastic wrap-lined jelly roll tray. Once cool, cut the fruit leather into rectangles, and wrap them individually.

    Veggie Strips

    • Too often, children eat unhealthy fired chips, friend vegetables or french fries, thinking they are sufficient enough to be counted as a meal. One alternative to fried vegetables such as these are sliced fresh vegetables that contain fiber and nutrients. Sliced vegetables are high in vitamins, such as carrots, celery, green beans, red and green peppers and snap peas. Put the sliced vegetables into easy to grab snack bags for even more convenience.

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