If your children are anything like mine they are pestering me for something to eat several times a day. When I pick my daughter up from school it is quite normal procedures that the first thing she says is ‘Have you got something to eat?’ Forget about ‘Hello Mummy, have you had a good day?’ The easy solution to this is to grab the ready packed convenience snacks from the supermarkets, but we all know that they, more often than not, contain far too much sugar, salt or saturated fat than is good for our little ones. And perhaps we should offer our kids a healthier alternative to sweets, crisps, chocolate and biscuits when they are hungry? So for those who are struggling with coming up with ideas for healthier snacks we have put together a few quick and easy ideas below and please share your own ideas in the comments!  



A Quicker Snack
A smaller snack to get you going between meals, after school or perhaps when they really not that hungry but just fancy something... 

Fruit – whole or chunks of fruit

Homemade popcorn – without salt and sugar

Oat biscuits - high in fibre and versatile;
eat plain or with cheese, ham or hummous

Vegetable sticks – celerery, carrots, peppers
(can be combined with hummous or soft cheese)

Blueberries

Dried fruit - not just raisin try mango, banana, pineapple

Nuts and seeds mix – perhaps mix with some cereal too and a few chocolate chips bits for a treat

A Bigger Snack
Examples of some fuller snacks suitable between school and activities such as swimming and fotbool practice. 

Rice cakes – plain or with butter or peanut butter. Choose unsalted and wholegrain.

Yoghurt - and cereal sprinkled on top. 

Apple and soft cheese

Wholegrain pita - cut up into triangles and dip in hummous  

Remember! 

Some snack packs of cheddar cheese, biscuits etc are larger than a normal serving, especially for a younger child. Buy bigger packs and portion out when required, then you can make sure that you only take as much as you are happy for them to eat.

Drink – sometimes thirst can be confused with hunger so don’t forget to fill up your reusable bottle with fresh water. Add ice and sliced lemon, cucumber, strawberries etc for a more interesting drink.

It is easier to say yes than no to demands for sugary and unhealthy foods, and those may be unpopular changes, but just remember you do it out of love and care!

It is never too late to break bad habits!