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ENLARGE
It is almost summertime and kids will be home. Remember healthy snacking this summer for your kids as they run around having fun and working up an appetite.
Healthy snacks are packed with nutrients needed to feel good and to grow and maintain their bodies. Snacks can be as easy as always having fruit in a visible location on the counter or having veggies pre-cut with a healthy dip like hummus on the side. The easier it is to see, grab, and go; the more likely it is your children will pick a healthy snack when you're not around to remind them to eat healthy foods.
Summertime is a great time to have your children help you prepare healthy snacks so they can always know there is a good snack to grab when they are hungry. Fun snacks to make together could be ants on a log (peanut butter in celery with raisins on top), fruit popsicles, or fruit smoothies.
Banana bobs are fun and an easy recipe to make. All you need is a banana, flavored yogurt and cereal or granola. Cut bananas in half-inch slices and use a fork to pick up banana, dip into a bowl of yogurt, then coat with crushed up cereal or granola. Next, all you have to do is enjoy.
When thinking of snacks to enjoy this summer, try to incorporate as many different food groups as possible. This will help keep your child going until the next meal. Including fruits, veggies and whole grains into a snack will add fiber, which really helps give you that feeling of fullness that lasts. Fruits and vegetables also provide good sources of vitamin A and C.
Healthy snacking does not have to be hard. Just talk with your family members about which healthy foods they would like to have on hand. Make your own grab-and-go snack bags of what your family likes by using items you might already have in your house. Pick two cereals for your snack packs, preferably whole grain, one type of nut and/or seed, one type of dried fruit and another grain such as popcorn. Put them in a bowl and mix them up. Measure the snack into sealable bags in a one-cup size, so that you always have a healthy snack that can be thrown in a bag and left until needed. This snack will be good for the whole summer. Measuring an amount for each bag will help to prevent overeating when an afternoon craving comes on.
Make a plan with your family on how you're going to eat healthy snacks with great-tasting foods that are good for you. Also, enjoy the fun family times as you prepare snacks together! For more fun recipes, checkout the following websites — http://healthyrecipes.oregonstate.edu/ or http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/. Both have many great ideas for healthy snacks your family will enjoy.
Mandy Hatfield is the Nutrition Education Program instructor for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at mandy.hatfield@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 541-672-4461.
Healthy snacks are packed with nutrients needed to feel good and to grow and maintain their bodies. Snacks can be as easy as always having fruit in a visible location on the counter or having veggies pre-cut with a healthy dip like hummus on the side. The easier it is to see, grab, and go; the more likely it is your children will pick a healthy snack when you're not around to remind them to eat healthy foods.
Summertime is a great time to have your children help you prepare healthy snacks so they can always know there is a good snack to grab when they are hungry. Fun snacks to make together could be ants on a log (peanut butter in celery with raisins on top), fruit popsicles, or fruit smoothies.
Banana bobs are fun and an easy recipe to make. All you need is a banana, flavored yogurt and cereal or granola. Cut bananas in half-inch slices and use a fork to pick up banana, dip into a bowl of yogurt, then coat with crushed up cereal or granola. Next, all you have to do is enjoy.
When thinking of snacks to enjoy this summer, try to incorporate as many different food groups as possible. This will help keep your child going until the next meal. Including fruits, veggies and whole grains into a snack will add fiber, which really helps give you that feeling of fullness that lasts. Fruits and vegetables also provide good sources of vitamin A and C.
Healthy snacking does not have to be hard. Just talk with your family members about which healthy foods they would like to have on hand. Make your own grab-and-go snack bags of what your family likes by using items you might already have in your house. Pick two cereals for your snack packs, preferably whole grain, one type of nut and/or seed, one type of dried fruit and another grain such as popcorn. Put them in a bowl and mix them up. Measure the snack into sealable bags in a one-cup size, so that you always have a healthy snack that can be thrown in a bag and left until needed. This snack will be good for the whole summer. Measuring an amount for each bag will help to prevent overeating when an afternoon craving comes on.
Make a plan with your family on how you're going to eat healthy snacks with great-tasting foods that are good for you. Also, enjoy the fun family times as you prepare snacks together! For more fun recipes, checkout the following websites — http://healthyrecipes.oregonstate.edu/ or http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/. Both have many great ideas for healthy snacks your family will enjoy.
Mandy Hatfield is the Nutrition Education Program instructor for OSU Extension Service of Douglas County. She can be reached by e-mail at mandy.hatfield@oregonstate.edu or by phone at 541-672-4461.
