15+ Healthy and Easy-To-Prepare Snacks for Kids

 Key takeaways

• Healthy snacks do not have to look boring. Make them look as colorful as they are nutritious. 
• Some healthy snacks for children include peanut butter cookies, yogurt, smoothies, nuts, and homemade popcorn.
• Involving your kids in preparing these snacks would make them excited for those moments and improve their cognitive abilities and healthy eating appetites.
• If we adults also sometimes indulge our sweet tooth, then we could also let the kids do so once in a while.

We've seen videos of children who rejected rich and healthy foods and snacks and went for processed options. We've also seen children willingly eating nutritious foods and snacks. Why is that?

The way the foods or snacks were prepared or presented in these two scenarios is the primary reason. Children love tasteful, colorful, and artistic snacks, and that is why you might need to get creative when preparing or presenting those snacks to them.

If your kids are picky eaters, you may need to indulge them in the colors, shapes, and tastes of food they like and are familiar with while creating a balance with the richness and healthiness of the snacks.

This is not to say that processed snacks are off limits (except, of course, that's what you want), but they should be taken in minute quantities. This way, you're training your children to, in the long run, choose healthy snacks most of the time. 

 Healthy Snacks for Children

Some of the following snacks can also be paired with a few other options and served as a whole meal for your kids.

 1. Yogurt

Yogurt is a rich source of calcium, vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids. It aids in the betterment of gut health and immune system modulation.

Many children would not say no to yogurt, especially when served with colorful toppings like fruits, nuts, and berries.

Overly sweetened yogurt should be avoided, as it might have a negative impact on children's dental health—plus refined sugar is not considered a healthy food option.

 2. Peanut butter cookies

As long as your kids do not have peanut allergies, peanut butter cookies are a quick snack they would love. The main ingredient is peanut butter (a butter made from peanuts, popularly called groundnut in Nigeria), which is the perfect balance between sweet and savory. 

Other ingredients used are all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, eggs, butter, brown and white sugar, baking powder. Remember that peanut butter cookies should be served in moderation. 

Peanut butter is rich in healthy fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals like sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. 

 3. Smoothies

Smoothies have to be the next best thing after yogurt, and they're taken by so many people, if not everyone. There isn't any set recipe for making smoothies. Just get your ingredients of choice together and blend to your preferred consistency. 

Ingredients like fruits and vegetables of different kinds, such as yogurt, milk, and peanut butter, can be blended together and served in a bowl (which is called a smoothie bowl), with or without any toppings, or transferred to a sippy cup. 

 4. Nuts

Nuts like almond nuts, peanuts, pecans, cashew nuts, and hazelnuts are rich in healthy fats, nutrients, and vitamins. These nuts make great snack options for children.

Younger children should be supervised when eating nuts, even when they’re chopped into smaller pieces to avoid choking hazards. Importantly, be mindful of potential allergies.

 5. Corn (and pear)

Many Nigerians would eat these with delight. Corn can be enjoyed with or without pears.

But to be safer, serve your kids boiled rather than roasted corn. This is to avoid choking and, in some cases, quickly tiring the jaw muscles due to prolonged, intense chewing of roasted corn, which is typically stronger.

 6. Granola bars

With just 5 ingredients, you can make very tasty and nutritious granola bars. You'd need oats, almonds, dates, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Mix these goodies and bake, following these instructions.

 7. Mixed fruit salad

Like smoothies, there are no rules when it comes to fruit salad. Identify the fruits your kids love and creatively include the ones you want to introduce them to. Fruits like watermelon can easily be cut into fun shapes. 

Ideal fruits for kids, especially younger kids, are fruits filled with water like watermelon, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, peaches, grapes, mangoes, cherries, and pomegranates. 

 8. Zobo

Zobo is a local Nigerian drink made with dried Hibiscus flowers, also called Hibiscus sabdariffa.  Hibiscus sabdariffa has been found to improve heart health and contains anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-hypertensive properties.

It’s best to prepare your Zobo at home so you have control over the ingredients, especially in the quantity of sugar used and hygiene.

To prepare delicious zobo:

• Wash the hibiscus flowers and boil in a pot with pineapples, for added flavor. 
• Strain afterwards using a sieve to separate the hibiscus flower from the zobo drink. 
• For more flavor, more natural fruit juices can be added, including dates to taste. 

Zobo drink is best served chilled and is enjoyed by both children and adults. 

 9. Homemade Suya

Suya is that Nigerian street food that surely counts as unhealthy as the typical kinds of meat used are fatty, unclean meats, reused saturated oils, spices that might not be healthy and prepared in a dirty environment, but you can take caution and make yours with the best of ingredients in your house. 

Suya is basically grilled or roasted meat. There are no restrictions on the kind of meat that can be used, but the most used kinds are beef and chicken. 

Select easy-to-cook meats, season them to taste, allow them to marinate, and grill or roast. This can also be made into a kebab.

 10. Grilled plantains (Boli)

Except your kids aren't plantain lovers, boli is a national fave. Plantains are rich in carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, and other essential nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Plantains are also high in fiber, which makes them aid digestion. Vitamins A and C present in plantains boost the immune system, and vitamin B6 promotes healthy brain function.

Boli is very easy to prepare. The back of the plantain is peeled off and roasted or grilled. It can be eaten alone, with groundnuts (peanuts), fish, or vegetables.

 11. Carrots with peanut butter

Little, juicy baby carrots that aren't very hard can be dipped in peanut butter. Carrots are rich in  vitamin C, which are effective in fighting cancer and promoting skin health. Their high vitamin A content is great for eyesight and boosts the immune system.

Peanut butter is rich in healthy fats and proteins, and essential minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.

 12. Muffins

Muffins are another creative way to play around with shapes and sizes. For a healthier option, gluten-free or oat flour can be used, rather than regular wheat flour.

With flour of choice, the same recipe can be followed or modified to suit preference. In this case, more milk and even fruits would suffice.

 13. Popcorn

Homemade popcorn can be made with a little less sugar, more honey, and maybe milk. It can be eaten at any time of the day and of course, is a worthy companion during movie nights.

 14. Plantain/Potato chips

Plantains and potato chips are a staple for many Nigerians, and you can almost find people snacking on them in traffic. 

Ripe or unripe plantains can be used to prepare these chips, but caution should be taken when using ripe plantains, as an excessive amount can affect the teeth.

 15. Homemade popsicles

Popsicles are enjoyed by both children and adults and are an opportunity to load your kids with yogurts and fruits in a fun way. 

This kid-friendly snack is made by blending yogurt with whatever fruits of choice. For a more colorful kind, strawberries and/or blueberries can be included. This can also be an easy way to introduce new fruits and tastes to your kids.

 16. Coconut candy

Coconut candy is made by thinly slicing or grating fresh coconuts and lightly toasting in caramelized sugar or honey. Because coconut is naturally sweet, the amount of sugar used should be minimal, as added sugar isn't ideal for a healthy lifestyle. 

Coconuts are rich in fat, phosphorus, and potassium, which help the body absorb nutrients, keep the bones strong, and control blood pressure, respectively.

 Tips to ensure your kids are snacking healthy

Here are some tips to ensure your kids are snacking healthy:

• Lead by example: Let healthy snacking be your lifestyle, too, and your kids would easily emulate that.
• Make the snacks look good: There's this saying that goes, “You eat with your eyes first.” Even adults sometimes reject tasty meals just because they don't look good or weren't properly presented. So ensure you make the snacks look good enough to whet your kids' appetite. 
• Educate them on the importance of healthy snacks: More than only giving them healthy snacks, allow their minds to marinate on why you'd rather give them those. 
• Offer varieties: Offering varieties can build up an anticipation in them for what to expect. This would also be a game changer for kids that aren't afraid of trying new things.
• Make healthy options available and accessible: Make sure the processed snacks (if you'd still have them) are out of their reach and the healthy ones easily accessible.

 Wrap up

Processed snacks do not have to be completely off-charts, but they should be given minimally.

Get creative when preparing your kids’ snacks and involve them in the process; that way, they'll look forward to the snacks. 

Importantly, be patient with your children. Not all kids would be readily open to new options, but slowly introduce them to healthier food options. With time, they will get used to them and get to love them, too.