7 Healthy Lunch Snacks for Your Child

In a world inundated with sugary products we need to consider alternatives for our children so that they don't become sugar-inundated adults. Let's face it - sugar is easy to get! I don't have a problem so much with sugar, but that it's not even healthy sugar. It is high fructose corn syrup, it is nutrasweet, and it is artificial sweeteners that are so easy to access. If it were honey, or nectar, or cane sugar, I don't think sugary products would be as much of a problem... but of course, to get these items, it will cost you. In my opinion it is better to pay the cost upfront than at the doctor's office.

So let's think about some healthy snacks that your child will actually WANT to eat.

Granola or Trail Mix

This will definitely be a treat that gets your grain intake in. Granola can be eaten plain, or mixed with yogurt for a breakfast-like treat. You can also add your favorite dried fruit to granola to balance out the grain. You can buy granola at your local grocer. One brand I recommend would be Bear Naked, although there are many other brands that are just as good. Whole Foods Market has bulk granolas that are great as well and you can purchase it by the pound.

Trail mix usually includes berries and nuts for a healthy balance. Trail mix is usually found pre-packaged, but you can also find this in bulk in certain grocers. Whole Foods Market (some locations) have it where you can create your own trail mix and add various seeds, nuts, berries, or whatever you like, and you'll have your own custom made trail mix.

Kettle Chips

This is my alternative to potato chips. Potato chips are usually greasy and not as nutritious as kettle chips. Some kettle chips are cooked in peanut oil, so if your child has allergies to peanuts I'd recommend finding a brand that isn't cooked in peanut oil or another type of snack altogether. The brand I recommend is Kettle Brand. They have a variety of flavors and products. They also have baked potato chips and tortilla chips, not to mention an organic product line for those who are into organic products. For more information about Kettle Brand products, go to: http://www.kettlefoods.com/.

Tortilla Chips with Salsa

I recommend plain tortilla chips made with sea salt. There are some that you'll find that have a hundred different ingredients, and those are the ones you should avoid. Good tortilla chips, in my opinion, have at most five ingredients; the core of those ingredients being corn, sea salt, safflower oil (or some other healthy kind of cooking oil), and perhaps a trace of lime. If it has some kind of artificial flavor attached to them, then they probably aren't authentic tortilla chips; either that or they're poorly made.

As far as salsa, most salsas you find that are already made will have nominal calories per serving and you'll get a good serving of fruit and vegetables as well. I like Frontera brand salsas myself, but there are other good brands out there. If you don't want to purchase a jar of salsa, consider making your own. The core ingredients you need are tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime and salt. You can add some extra spices and herbs to really make it good if you'd like.

Pasta Salad

If you've never had pasta salad, it's similar to regular salad, except it doesn't include lettuce at all. The lettuce is replaced with pasta. Makes sense, right? Typical ingredients to a pasta salad are pasta, Italian dressing, and vegetables of your choice. I've seen red bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, and black olives as far as options, but they definitely don't stop there. You can also add a little cheese to balance out the blend. One seasoning I recommend if you try and make pasta salad and that is McCormick's Salad Supreme seasoning. I HIGHLY recommend it! For me, it makes the world of difference between a bluh pasta salad and a really good one.

In terms of what type of pasta to use, it doesn't really matter. If you want something colorful, there are tri-colored pastas out there, you could even do wheat-based pasta I supposed. I like fusilli (the bow-tie pasta) or angel-hair pasta in my pasta salad.

Flavored Applesauce

Applesauce is not just regular applesauce anymore. Now there are other flavors such as peach, banana, pear, mixed-berry, and strawberry. Now when you think of applesauce, it's no longer just pureed apples, it can be pureed fruit of any kind. You can take a blender at home, and puree some fruit and put it in a container and put in your child's lunchbox or paper bag. If that fruit isn't naturally sweet, perhaps add a touch of sugar or honey to give it a boost, but not too much.

Homemade French Fries

You don't have to buy French fries in a big anymore. You can get a five-pound bag of potatoes and if you have the time, slice away the fries of your dreams!

The basic recipe is to take a potato, slice it until you get sticks. The thinner the sticks, the faster they cook. After this you place them in a bag, add the seasoning of your choice, and let set for a few minutes. Place in a pan and let them cook for about 30-45 minutes and then you have homemade French fries. There are so many options with this I can't even mention them all. If you're kitchen-challenged, you can just add basic salt and pepper and that'll work just as well.

Fruit Slices with Cream Cheese (or Yogurt)

Better than having just fruit, is fruit with creativity. What I'm recommending is slicing up some fruit - perhaps pears, plums, peaches, that kind of fruit - and taking an individual-size pack of cream cheese, or cottage cheese if you prefer. Yogurt is an acceptable substitute as well. The goal is to consume fruit without it being just fruit. Fruit by itself sometimes is not fun, I'll admit, but add some healthy dairy with it and you could have a snack to remember.