There are plenty of healthy, low-calorie snacks that you can purchase at the grocery store for your kids. Just walk the aisles and you’ll find an array of yogurts, fresh fruit, sugarless juices, low-fat cottage cheese and more. But at some point your kids are going to want more variety. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks under 200 calories for your kids. As a bonus, they are all quick and easy to make!
Healthy Fruit Snacks
1. Pears and ricotta cheese. Take one small pear, cut it in half and core it. Broil the pear 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Top the warm pear with ¼ cup part-skim ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon for extra punch. Each pear half is less than 200 calories.
2. Apple dippers. Cut an apple into wedges. Put a toothpick in each piece and let your kids dip the wedges in peanut butter and then roll them around in sliced almonds. Most of the calories in this snack come from the peanut butter, with 2 tablespoons equaling about 200 calories.
3. Strawberries and cream. Take fresh strawberries and top with whipped cream. Amazingly, whipped cream has fewer calories than you might expect—generally only about 8 calories per tablespoon.
4. Smoothies. Blend fruit with juice, yogurt or milk, and ice. The combinations are endless. And homemade smoothies are far cheaper than store-made ones. Even better, you’ll be assured that your smoothies do not contain processed sugar.
5. Fruit with creamy dip. Mix ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Let your kids dip their favorite fruit and eat away!
Healthy Vegetable Snacks
1. Ants on a log. Many of us remember this snack fondly from childhood. Cut up celery sticks, spread with peanut butter or any favorite nut butter and top with raisins. Keep in mind that two tablespoons of peanut butter has about 200 calories.
2. Sweet potato fries. Cut four small sweet potatoes into 1-inch wedges. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 – 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes on a roasting pan flesh side down and brush with the olive oil mixture. Cook at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, let your kids dunk them in ketchup or in fresh lime juice.
3. Carrots and hummus. Hummus is a healthy dip made from chickpeas and readily available at most grocery stores. Dip carrots or other favorite vegetables, or even bread, in it.
4. Kale chips. Yup, you heard right. Take a bunch of kale, tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Line a pan with parchment paper and bake the chips at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes until crisp. This healthy snack is rich in iron and low in calories. Your kids can snack all day.
5. Tomatoes and mozzarella. In the summer, fresh, juicy tomatoes are available at many farmers’ markets. Pick your kids’ favorites, top with fresh mozzarella and drizzle with a bit of olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette.
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