These days junk food has become so common that it is difficult for parents to stop their children from having it. But to make sure that your kids don’t indulge in any unhealthy food practices, it is important that you don’t buy junk for them. This practice is not so difficult if you ensure that no junk is going to enter your house. No chips, no cheese balls, no sugary biscuits, no tinned juices or other health drinks. Though they are very convenient to have but you really need to replace them with healthy snacks which don’t mess with the health of your child.
This post talks about 5 such health snack options that you must have in your house to keep your kid safe from the junk available in the market. These options are quite healthy and will be loved by children.
Roasted Dal
If your kid is fond of something spicy and crunchy then you can have different varieties of dals which can be roasted in a pan or oven. All you need is little oil along with spices and of course dal. You can use green peas, kala chala, kabuli chana, moon dal etc. These are snacks rich in protein content and when mixed with interesting flavorsome masala, your kid is surely going to enjoy every bit of it.
Roasted Cereals
Cereals are also a healthy snack that you can have in your kitchen. Wheat puff, bajra puff, makka, jau, alsi, puffed rice etc. are some of the best choices of cereals which can be roasted using your oven. In fact there are various companies offering a wide range of these puffed cereals which are delicious to have and also very health. You can add spices of your choice to make them interesting munch-on options for your child when he wants to have some snack. They are light, delicious and the best replacement to namkeens. Replace all the namkeen jars with these yummy roasted cereals which come in great variety.
Nuts
Nuts like peanuts, pista, almonds, walnuts etc. are very healthy and good for growing children. You can easily store them in fridge and they stay as long as 6 months. Do not leave them outside or else they would start smelling. These snacks are rich in fat and are wonderful snacks, especially during winters. Store them in jar and let your kid enjoy these handy food items. These are usually a healthy choice during winter season. You can even play with peanuts by adding some spices along with chopped onions, tomatoes etc. to prepare a quick and delicious peanut chaat.
Frozen Fruits
All kids love fruits but it is not possible to have all fruits round the year. Fruits are a healthy snack anytime. When having fresh fruits is not an option then you can freeze them for a regular supply. You can easily wash and freeze grapes. You can also freeze strawberries, kiwis, pineapples, oranges etc. which surely serve as an easy to have snack option for children. You can even prepare smoothies or shakes using them when you want to serve your children with something different. You can even prepare a fruit desert using fresh cream and fruits. So make sure your fridge has enough frozen fruits. Make sure that you wash, clean and dry these fruits properly to make sure that they are frozen in the right manner.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is another choice of nutritious snack which can be used the way you like it. You can simply spread it on bread or you can put it on fruits or salads or celery to prepare a wholesome nutritious snack. Peanut butter comes with high protein content and calories and comes with long shelf life. You can even try it with healthy biscuits. This is one wonderful option which you can try in different ways to keep snacking time fun filled for your child. You can even prepare a nice sandwich using peanut butter along with some veggies to make it a wholesome diet for your growing child.
All the 5 options given above are wonderful choices of healthy snacks which will keep your child away from all the junk and will inculcate healthy food eating habits in them. Surely, you will have to make sure that you make these snacks look interesting and appealing to them so that they cannot resist them. And once they have developed a taste for snacks rich in proteins and other nutrients, they will relish them. So what are you waiting for? Go and get these snacks to stock your kitchen with healthy snacks.