Kids are hungry by design, because they are constantly moving and therefore are burning the calories from meals in just a couple hours. We can help our children this holiday season to not fall into poor dietary habits, by instead having, healthy snacks readily available to offer them.

A few families have provided some of their holiday fun food ideas:

·         Sliced carrots and celery in cups or flower vases as a centerpiece

·         Apple, Pears and Cheese slices. 

·         Fruit or vegetables dipped in Yogurt

·         Oranges, washed and sliced (leave on the skin as most kids like to play with the sliced circles.)

·         Olives and sundried tomatoes

·         Meat slices set on sliced Kiwi

·         Platters with varied dried fruits (Nuts, Dried Apricots/banana’s, Pumpkin seeds and Popcorn) set on kitchen and living room tables.

·         Yogurt or a glass of milk slows down a child’s hunger pains.

·         Wheat grisini with cream cheese and honey dip (3 Tablespoons cheese to 1 tablespoon honey)

·         Wheat crostini with slice of cheese (pecorino) and honey drizzled on top

·         Wheat crostini with pesto or truffle cream or cream cheese

It is important to have healthy snacks available for kids that are not always made up of empty calories. Teaching kids the benefits of making smart eating choices when they are young can lead to a lifetime of healthy eating habits. This holiday show your kids how snacks can add to their nutritional requirements for the day.

Nutritional snacks should be kept in an area that is easy for children to reach, while unhealthy choices kept in less accessible areas. This will encourages children to reach for the healthy options first. By encouraging healthy snacking, parents can give their children the nutrients and know-how needed for healthy living.