Great Nutritional Snacks for School Children

As parents we are very concerned about our children's nutrition. We want to make sure that they are eating healthy, but also that they are eating something that they enjoy. If they don't like what they eat then they are pushing it to the side of the plate, giving it to their friends, the dog, or throwing it away. Many elementary schools ask that parents and guardians send a snack to school with their children. The snack is usually eaten as a brunch before lunch or as an afternoon snack after lunch. With so many quick and delicious, but very unhealthy choices out there, sometimes it's hard to decide what to send to school as a snack with our children. Here are some great nutritional snacks that I send to school with my child.

Fruits, Nuts & Seeds
They're sweet, they're natural, and they're easy to package. Ask your children what their favorite fruits are, they might surprise you. Get a few of their favorites together and make a fruit salad. My daughter enjoys strawberries, kiwis, apples, oranges, peaches, plums, bananas, and grapes. Nuts and seeds are great proteins that are filling and also delicious. Ask your child if they like nuts and seeds. My daughter loves mixed nuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Trail mixes with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds are great nutritional snacks for children and if you don't want to put together your own they're easy to find at the grocery store. Trail mixes can often be high in calories so it's important that you send only a single serving with your child.

Low Fat Yogurt & Pudding
They're sweet, good for them, and already conveniently packaged. Low fat yogurt and pudding are great nutritional snacks for children. There are so many different flavors and packages that it's easy to find one that your children will enjoy.

Baked, Low Calorie, Low Sodium Chips
Many children love to eat chips. They're quick, easy, and tasty, but can be very unhealthy. My solution is to find baked chips that are low in calories and low in sodium. Look in the dietary/health food section of your grocery store and you'll be pleasantly surprised by the plethora of options!

As parents we want to make sure that our children live happy, healthy lives. Part of our responsibility as parents is to make sure that our children eat nutritional snacks at school and practice healthy snacking habits. Try sending some of these snacks with your children. Change the snacks up every day and every week so that your child will feel like he/she is getting a wide variety of food choice, and you will feel confident about your nutritional snack choices as well!