Snack Ideas For Kids That Won’t Wreck Your Diet
If you are a mom at home on a diet, you will probably related
to a frequent situation I encounter as a weight loss consultant.
Many of my clients with children are able to keep to a healthy
eating plan through most circumstances except two. It all starts
to go astray when the kids come home from school, or when they
are preparing school lunches.
It’s no surprise really. Kids love snacks we buy from the
supermarket, and parents love them because they are quick and
easy to throw into the lunchbox or for kids to grab from the
shelves in the pantry. Small bags of chips, tasty bite size
crackers, sodas and the like. No problem. Except when it comes
to mom’s weight loss program. Mom loves them too!
These products are high in fat, high in energy and high in
refined sugars. And after one, two or three nibbles it is
possible to wrack up an unwanted 500 calories. This single act
will probably stall your weight loss or even worse!
To stop your kids from sabotaging your weight loss efforts, here
are 20 snack ideas for kids that will do far less damage to your
weight loss program if mom nibbles (just a little).
1. Chop up ½ tinned pear or other fruit in natural juice and
set in 200mls of low calorie jelly. Make up into individual
disposable plastic containers with lids.
2. Cut up crisp vegetable sticks with dipping sauce – ranch,
peanut (satay), sweet chili or tomato.
3. Cut celery sticks 6-8 cm, fill with cottage cheese and top
with sultanas or chopped nuts.
4. Combine a mixture of low fat hard cheese cubes, nuts and
dried fruits in plastic wrap or a lunch bag.
5. Roll up thin slices of carrot and celery with grated cheese
in a slice of cold meat. Secure with toothpick. Slice the carrot
and celery with a vegetable peeler for really thin slices.
6. Cut oranges into quarters and freeze on trays. Put into
plastic bags for a fruity ice block.
7. Meatball surprise. Next time you are making meatloaf, double
the quantity and make a batch of meatballs. These are great in
lunchboxes cold. Add a slice of pineapple with a toothpick to
each meatball. Add dipping tomato sauce if required.
8. Mini quiches….make a batch of crust-less quiche and cook in
muffin tray. Each ‘muffin’ will be a wonderful healthy snack for
kids.
9. Chilled fruit surprise – slice a combination of strawberries,
bananas, kiwi fruit, watermelon, grapes or in season fruit.
Place in small resealable plastic container. Top with apple
juice; do not overfill. Seal, freeze. When packed in lunchbox,
will keep sandwiches cool and prove a refreshing treat on a hot
day.
10. Rice cakes spread with mashed avocado, mashed banana and
cinnamon, or try mashed avocado, sliced tomato and sprouts.
11. Chopped hard-boiled egg served with low fat mayo, salt,
pepper on a crisp bread.
12. Leaf wrappers: wrap a cheese finger, celery stick and carrot
stick in a lettuce leaf. Wrap in foil and place in lunchbox.
Contents will be kept moist.
13. Low Fat tub of yoghurt.
14. Baby Bell Cheese and low fat cracker.
15. Creamy dates: slice dates lengthways, remove stone. Fill
with Philadelphia cream cheese (low fat).
16. Quick sausage rolls: wrap a skinned (good quality) sausage
in several sheets of filo pastry. Brush pastry with beat egg to
glaze. Cut into desired lengths. Bake in moderately hot oven for
15-20 minutes. Rolls can be frozen.
17. Same as above but use fresh chicken breast strips and cut to
2″ – use tomato or favorite dipping sauce
18. After school hot snack attack: Spread a round of pita bread
with tomato paste and herbs. Top with tomato, ham, mortadella,
add onion, sliced mushrooms or pineapple. Sprinkle grated low
fat hard cheese over pita bread. Grill to make a tasty pizza. If
no pita bread is available, substitute a crisp bread.
19. Fruity kebabs: place bite size pieces of fruit in season on
kebab skewers.
20. Pop top sandwich tuna tin, crisp bread, sachet of
mayonnaise. Kids can put their snack together at school so that
it doesn’t go soggy.
Remember fresh is best both for yourself and your children. By
substituting these ideas for some of the prepackaged snack food
and cookies your kids eat you will be doing both them and
yourself a favor.
(c) Kim Beardsmore
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