Healthy And Fun Back-To-School Snacks

It’s that time of year again! Grade school kids are getting ready to head back to the classroom, and parents will have to put the trust of their child’s wellbeing into the hands of a new teacher. Parents do have control over one thing, and that’s the kind of food their child will bring for snacks and lunch.

If there’s anything kids care about more than themselves, it’s looking cool in front of their friends. No kid wants to be the one to pull out an apple at snack time when everybody else has cookies and gummy bears. How can you keep your kid healthy while making sure they’ll actually eat what you give them?

Here are some healthy and popular snacks that your kids won’t be embarrassed to eat at school.

1. String Cheese.
These fun favorites are great for all ages! They come in a variety of flavors and are conveniently wrapped for lunch bags. Snacking on cheese has been proven to help ward off diabetes, just don’t overdo it as cheese has a high fat content.

2. Peanut Butter on Apples or Celery.
This fun treat is health food in disguise! Make a celery log by filling a stick of celery with peanut butter and placing raisin “ants” along the top. A sliced apple with peanut butter spread on top is another healthy way to sneak fruit into a picky eater’s diet.

3. Whole-Grain Cereal
Cereal doesn’t have to be just for breakfast! Pack a ziplock bag of some of your kid’s favorite dry cereals. Try honey-nut cheerios, rice chex, or healthy granola. It packs in the fiber and is just sweet enough to taste good without milk!

4. A Yogurt Cup or Go-Gurt.
Sure, some yogurts look like candy because of all sorts of food colorings, but they are a much healthier snack than a pudding cup or ice cream cone. Try Yoplait dessert-flavored yogurt, fun Go-Gurt tubes, or danimals drinkable yogurt!

5. Dried Fruit
Some picky eaters will shy away from the chewier, uglier version of fresh fruit, but others take to it right away. Try raisins or dried apricots with your kid, and if they like them, give them a little baggie for snack time.

6. Oatmeal Cookies
Low-fat oatmeal cookies have much more nutrition than regular chocolate chip cookies or high-fat frosted cookies. You can get oatmeal cookies at almost any store, but if you like baking them at home try a new recipe with dried cranberries instead of raisins, or add some low-fat chocolate chips!

Make your child the superstar at lunch time! Teaching healthy habits at a young age is essential to their own development of an eating schedule.