Healthy Snacks for Kids: Sneaky Snacks, Erector Sets and Petite Pizzas

Growing up my Mother was incredibly creative when it came to healthy snacks for kids. She was "sneaky" and would find tons of ways to give us healthy snacks that we thought were "junk food," maybe we were gullible, but it worked! I won't give you her recipe for her world famous wheat germ and spinach shake because that would require you to have to set the table with candle lights to get away with that trick, but what I will give you are some of her best and simplest healthy sneaky snacks for kids.

"Snacks can, and should, be a part of every child's balanced diet. An afternoon snack will give kids more energy after school, and they'll be able to concentrate on homework, and have more energy to play outside rather than merely flop down in front of the television."

So below you will find some quick and easy homemade snack ideas to keep your kids energy up and maybe even learn a little something about healthy eating.

Quick and Easy

• Cartoon Eggs This is truly the simplest snack in the world! Take a dozen eggs (organic is preferred) and hard boil them. Once they have cooled draw cartoon faces on each one. Have your kids help you decorate the egg carton with whatever makes them smile. Put the eggs back in the carton and put them in the refrigerator and at snack time you can have your children race to see who can get the eggs the fastest. You will be surprised how much your kids enjoy this creative yet simple snack idea.

• Orange Freeze Take one of your empty ice cube trays and fill it with fresh organic orange juice. Or you can use any other juice your kids enjoy. Put in your freezer for 15 minutes. Then put a popsicle stick or tooth pick into each cube and place back in the freezer overnight. The next day your kids can enjoy a yummy frozen treat.

• Yogurt Freezer Pops My mom used to use homemade yogurt for this quick snack but for most of us we just don't have the time. So buy some fresh organic yogurt, plain or vanilla and add a couple of scoops of organic frozen orange juice concentrate to the yogurt, mix it all up and you can either put it into an ice cube tray and freeze it or use the popsicle trays you can purchase from your local super store. This makes a really yummy popsicle and at the same time is a great healthy snack for kids.

This is where you can really get your kids involved and teach them some of the basics of healthy eating. Your kids will really enjoy helping you make these yummy snacks.

• Petite Pizzas You can use either organic spinach tortillas, which is my favorite or you can use organic whole grain English muffins. Take some organic spaghetti sauce and cover the muffin or tortilla, then sprinkle a little bit of organic shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese. Take out a sauté pan and put in a little bit of olive oil and then add some sliced organic onions, organic zucchini and organic mushrooms. Add a bit of organic garlic salt and sauté until golden brown. Now top your pizza with all the yummy veggies and cook in the oven until the cheese is melted. Your kids will love these little pizzas and they will love making them with you.

• Fruit Erector Set Make a bowl full of melon balls using a watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Cut up lots of pieces of pineapple into various block sizes and shapes and put in a second bowl. Add a third bowl full of strawberries and blueberries. And if that isn't enough you can always add pears, apples or peaches. Put out all the fruit bowls on your table and give your children some toothpicks. Let them build their own creations, they could make a boat or a tower or even a flower. Let them use their imagination while at the same time they are eating a nutritious snack.

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