Create a Tempting Selection of Snacks

Apple Sandwiches with Granola and Peanut Butter

For energetic, on-the-move kids, snacks are just as important as meals. They provide another opportunity to pack nutrition into a child's day, and they help maintain a child's seemingly endless desire and energy to explore their world. Whenever possible, it's ideal to substitute a whole food option like fresh veggies and fruits or nuts and seeds, for conventional, packaged foods.

When you crave:	Conventional flavored potato chips fried in sunflower or corn oil artificial flavors MSG
Try this instead:	365 Everyday Value® flavored potato chips fried in expeller-pressed canola, sunflower or safflower oil no artificial flavors no MSG
Or even better:	365 Everyday Value® flavored baked potato chips no artificial flavors no MSG minimal fat and salt
Best of all:	Homemade air-popped popcorn spritzed with Bragg Liquid Aminos and tossed with nutritional yeast no oil minimal sodium

When you crave:	Conventional gummy candy artificial colors artificial flavors loads of added sugar some brands have some real fruit
Try this instead:	Natural brand fruit chews no artificial colors no artificial flavors added sugar some brands include real fruit
Or even better:	365 Everyday Value® fruit strips made with real fruit, juice & fruit extracts no artificial flavors no artificial colors no added sugar
Best of all:	Fresh fruit or our bulk dried fruit nutritional benefits of a whole food our quality standards prohibit added sulfites in dried fruit choose dried fruits with no added sugar

When you crave:	Conventional granola bar hydrogenated fats high fructose corn syrup artificial preservatives
Try this instead:	Natural brand granola bar no hydrogenated fats no high fructose corn syrup no artificial preservatives
Or even better:	Fruit & nut snack bar real fruit, seeds and nuts no added sugar or fats no artificial preservatives
Best of all:	Build your own trail mix choose raw or dry-roasted nuts and seeds our quality standards prohibit added sulfites in dried fruit choose fruit with no added sugar or oil

When you crave:	Conventional soda artificial colors and flavors high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener phosphoric acid
Try this instead:	365 Everyday Value® Natural Soda no artificial colors no artificial flavors no high fructose corn syrup
Or even better:	100% juice soda or sparkling juice no artificial colors; no artificial flavors nutritional benefits of real juice no added sugar
Best of all:	Homemade sparkling juice combine 100% juice with sparkling water nutritional benefits of real juice no artificial anything; no added sugar

When you crave:	Conventional ice cream artificial flavors high fructose corn syrup milk from cows given growth hormones
Try this instead:	365 Everyday Value® ice cream no artificial anything no high fructose corn syrup milk from cows not given added hormones (rBST)
Or even better:	Natural brand non-fat frozen yogurt no artificial anything no high fructose corn syrup zero or little fat
Best of all:	Creamy banana smoothie at home frozen banana, almond butter, non-dairy milk nothing artificial nutritional benefits of a whole food

Snacks should be easy and fun, with minimal time invested in making them. With this list of alternatives and a well-stocked healthy pantry, your kids will get just as much instant gratification from natural snacks as they would from less healthy options—and parents will get more peace of mind.

Grab-and-Go Natural Snacks

One thing that differentiates snacks from meals is that they should be easy and quick. Pack your pantry and fridge with the following foods so kids can grab and eat them without needing any help or prep work:

radishes, pre-cut or baby carrots, pre-cut bell peppers, squash, celery (with optional dips or spreads)
"finger fruits" like grapes, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, cherry tomatoes
easy to handle fruits like apples, pears, plums, bananas
nitrate-free deli meats
smoked or canned salmon
soy milk
string cheese, cheese cubes or pre-sliced cheese
low-fat yogurt
hard-boiled eggs
nuts and seeds/dried fruits/trail mix
cereal/granola
popcorn
soy or rice crisps
high-fiber whole wheat crackers
applesauce
fruit leather
dark chocolate

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