Fresh Snack Time Ideas
You are familiar with serving snacks daily to the children in your care center, but do you know why snacks are so important for little bodies? Small bodies mean small stomachs so children require snacks to help sustain them until the next meal.
Snacks generally provide 1/3 of their daily intake for overall nutrition, including calories and nutrients, and are also usually a good source of fiber.
Are you in a snack rut? Consider some of the following ideas to change up your usual offerings served with water to drink:
- Roasted chickpeas + Broccoli Florets
- Low-fat milk + Apple slices
- Mixed Nuts + Dried Cranberries
- Fresh Green Beans + Whole-grain crackers
- Kiwi slices + Hard-boiled egg
- Whole-grain toast + Cheese slice
- Yogurt + Fresh or Frozen blueberries
- Sugar snap peas + Whole-grain mini bagel
- Dry whole-grain cereal + Applesauce
- Cottage cheese + Pineapple
- Hard-boiled egg + Bell pepper strips
- Tuna salad + Whole-grain crackers
As the weather starts to warm up with the spring season here, it’s time to give a twist to snacks. Have you considered taking snack time outside for a picnic snack? Here are some ideas for the fair-weather picnic snack opportunities served with water to drink:
- Carrot sticks + Hummus dip
- Celery + Peanut butter
- Whole-grain pita pocket + Turkey
- Ham cubes + Grapes
- String cheese + Cherry tomatoes
- Peanuts + Cucumber slices
- Strawberries + Yogurt