Tara Ross, a registered dietitian with the Heart Life program at Prisma Health Upstate, is a mother and also specializes in the healthy snack department. Here are some suggestions on how to look or get an appointment for acne treatment. Alternate as needed for allergies and remember to avoid the dangers of suffocation for young children. And while homemade is great, Ross isn’t opposed to store-bought snacks to make life easier. Check out this list of favorites for some nutritionists who are ready to catch up and go.
Remember to practice dividing responsibilities to help reduce conflict. This means that as a parent your job is to decide what foods to serve, when to have breakfast, and where to have snacks. Your child’s job is to decide how much more they will eat. For older children, it may be helpful to include them in the planning process or offer a choice (would you prefer nuts or cheese with your apple slices?) But in the end you decide What to offer.
Make snacks more balanced by adding fiber, fat and protein. Fiber can be obtained from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Nuts, seeds, nut butter, cheese, meat, eggs, yogurt and avocado contain protein and fat. Many breakfast foods are high in carbohydrates but low in fiber and protein, which can make children (and parents) less satisfied.
Prepare snacks ahead of time to reduce breakfast stress and use pre-distributed containers such as Bento boxes to make it easier to store and serve. Muffins made from oats or whole wheat flour, pure fruit such as bananas, and Greek yogurt may be an easy high-fiber, protein-rich option to make. They also work well for breakfast. If you have frequent requests for breakfast before dinner, consider inserting a veggie “appetizer” tray.
Don’t be afraid to rely on packed snacks when you need them (Hello, Spring Games!). There are many choices available, including less sugar, more protein, and more fiber. Just try to keep the extra sugar at less than 6 grams per serving and the fiber at 3 grams or more per serving.
Healthy Breakfast Ideas:
- Fruits / nuts with nuts or nut butter (use sun butter for nut allergies)
- Make your own fruit and nuts pouches (kids can help!)
- Ants “dance” on log or apple
- Fruit with Greek yogurt dip
- Fruit with cheese
- Use grapes, berries and prawns to save time.
- Make skewers / cubes to keep it interesting
- Greek yogurt with whole grain cereals
- Multi-green tartella chips with salsa or guacamole (add cheese for more protein.)
- Vegetables with a hummus, guacamole, ranch, or yogurt dip
- Carrot chips / sticks, pepper pieces, cucumber pieces, sugar pieces
- Make your own field dressing with Greek yogurt base
- For more protein, mix half a guacamole and half a Greek yogurt.
- Fruit and yogurt smoothies or popsicles (you can also add spinach or cabbage).
- Whole wheat or oat muffins made with added fruits, chopped vegetables and / or nuts
- Popcorn with nuts
- Whole grain crackers with low fat cheese or nut butter
- Mini whole weight pita pockets full of vegetables and hams or nut butter and chopped bananas
- Homemade Beetle Cutting: Mini whole wheat bean or English muffin topped with low sodium pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese (toasted).
- Energy cutting
- Half of a sandwich (nut butter and jam, turkey / chicken, or tuna salad)
Easy breakfast products
- “No sugar added” or “juice pack” fruit cup and apple sauce.
- Baby carrots, pre-chopped broccoli / cabbage, sugar snap peas, or snow peas
- Pre-cut fruits, raisins, dates, apple chips
- Jeff Natural Peanut Butter to Go Cup
- Sabra Hums to Go Cup
- Hidden Valley Light Ranch to Go Cup
- String cheese, cheese pieces / cubes, laughing cow or babble
- Roasted gram (saffron road or bus balanced)
- Crackers: Wheat Thin, Triskites, Marius Super Seed, Crunch Master Multi Green, Wasa Multi Green
- Unsalted or lightly salted nuts (Emerald or planter bags in the first section are an option)
- 100% whole grain bread, bagels, or mini bagels
- Greek Yogurt Cups / Pouches: Stonyfield, Siggis, Choubani (Limit Shagar to less than 6 grams per serving)
- Bars: Kashi Greenfree, Kind, RX Bar, Lara Bar, Trader Jose Chia Bar, Perfect Kids (Keep 3-5 grams of fiber and less than 6 grams of sugar)