Quick Hacks for Nutritious Kids Snacks

Preparing snacks for your kids needn’t be time-consuming or tedious. There are so many delicious dishes that can be whipped up in no time at all. With tooth decay rising year on year for the last couple of decades, and extraction surgery being performed on children as young as two years old; fixing snacks at home for your kids has never been so important. Well-meaning people, like grandparents or parents of your children’s friends, may sometimes give your kids food and drinks that you don’t necessarily approve of. Although it can be awkward to object, your kids will thank you later on when they still have their beautiful, bright smiles as adults.

Simple scrumptious snacks

Sometimes simple is best, and certainly easiest! Vitamin-packed vegetables sliced up into crudités make handy snacks for little hands. Simply cut up cucumbers, bell peppers, and carrots, and arrange them on a plate. Add a few tomato wedges and cubes of cheese too, if you like. You can get the kids to lay out the veg by making funny faces with it. It’s a great way to get them enthused about eating it all up.

Little things like using tap water instead of bottled water, which doesn’t contain added fluoride, can all help keep your kids teeth healthy. Studies have shown that fruit juice can be just as bad as soda. If your kids insist on juice, give them just a little bit diluted down with a lot of tap water. Milk is always a favorite as its full of nutrients essential to bone and dental health. However, it also contains naturally occurring sugars, so if you give your little one a warm glass before bed, make sure their teeth are brushed afterwards.

Fruit makes a great snack too, but as many have high levels of the natural sugar fructose, they should be eaten in moderation. Aim for around 5-7 vegetable servings a day, and just two of fruit. Some fruits are also quite acidic, coupled with the fructose, they can contribute to tooth decay. Skewers are a fun way to get kids to eat fruit and are so easy to put together. Just push chunks of your chosen fruits onto wooden skewers, like you would with kebabs. Make sure to snip off the sharp ends of the skewers before serving.

Yummy mummy recipes

Egg muffins are even easier to make than omelettes. Whisk up a couple of eggs, pour the mixture into a lightly greased muffin tin, and bake for ten minutes. It’s that simple. Add in some chopped veg before baking, and you have the perfect warm snack for any time of day. Hummus is a healthy and delicious savory snack too. Packed full of protein and good fats, serve it with some crudités or pieces of wholemeal bread. Toss a can of chickpeas, a small piece of garlic, and a squeeze of half a lemon into a food mixer and whizz up. If you can get your hands on some sesame paste, often known as tahini, to give it even more of an authentic flavor; throw that in too. You can make a whole variety of hummus flavors by adding any kind of roasted veg to the mix before blending.

The level of tooth decay seen amongst children these days is frightening. Dental practitioners say that it is a problem that affects kids from all kinds of backgrounds, regardless of family income. Tooth extraction surgery is so serious in some cases, that small children have to undergo the procedure using general anaesthetic, which can result in dangerous complications. The pain of tooth decay can be mistaken for teething, so if in doubt, take your child to the dentist. It’s recommended they make a visit by age one at the latest. Parents want what’s best for their kids, and preparing healthy snacks at home is a great way to show your babies how much you care.

Jane Sandwood

Jane has been a freelance writer and editor for many years and her passion is to use her work to help people improve their everyday health and well being. Jane also loves music and travel, but above all her greatest love is simply spending time with her family.