Kids love snacks and often scoff when it comes to healthy snacks. After they’ve filled their stomachs with greasy, salty chips or chocolate, you’ll be lucky if they eat a nutritious meal. Unhealthy snacking is a habit that can be broken, but kids really need help with it. Healthy snacks for children should be presented to them as an alternative to chewing on foods that have no nutritional value or are harmful to their health.

Some children are mature enough to be educated in healthy eating and will adapt quickly if they really want to take control of their health. However, most kids don’t really care about health, especially when it comes to snacking. Here are some ideas for introducing nutritious snacks to your children:

Keep fresh fruit close at hand and within easy reach.

Most children can’t resist a plate full of fresh fruit. Provide a variety of fruits, some of which they have never tried. A variety of fruits is sure to appeal to even the pickiest of eaters. Take the kids on a shopping spree to pick out fruit that they find interesting. For special snacks, you can help the kids make chocolate-dipped fruit or banana popsicles.

Kids love shakes.

Smoothies are a great alternative to milkshakes and are actually healthy snacks that kids love. You can use yogurt, fresh fruit, and low-fat milk and make a smoothie in a blender in seconds. Many children will enjoy making their own smoothies, so it would be a good idea to get them involved.

Help your children plant a garden full of vegetables.

Believe it or not, kids are more likely to eat vegetables if they grow them themselves. Gardening is a great adventure and a great way to spend quality time with your children. At harvest time, prepare a snack tray with vegetables and low-fat dip. You can even try making celery with peanut butter for a snack.

Replace French fries with a healthy snack mix.

Grain-based cereals and granola and whole-grain crackers are much healthier than other snack foods that are children’s choices. Mixing these cereals with nuts, raisins, or other dried fruits can make a healthy snack for children that they can chew.

Juice.

If your kids refuse to snack on fruits and vegetables, you can always pass it off as juice to make sure your kids get the nutrition they desperately need. You can run fresh fruits and vegetables through a juicer and create a homemade juice that is sure to turn heads. You could even try making a slush from the juice by running it through a blender filled with ice. You can also make popsicles with freshly made fruit and vegetable juice.

Tempting a child with healthy snacks can be challenging if they are used to eating junk food. It’s best if you start early and develop good eating habits when they’re young, but it’s never too late to teach children to eat healthy.