Five All-Natural Snacks Kids Will Adore

“Mom, I’m hungry!” Is this the familiar cry you hear from your kids when they arrive home from school in the afternoon? While it may be tempting to hand them a plate full of prepackaged cookies or cupcakes, have you ever stopped to consider the additives and preservatives in these harmless looking treats? Not to mention the sugar. In small doses, additives, preservatives, and food colorings may not be an urgent health risk but exposure to these chemicals can add up over time if you offer them to your kids every day. Plus, kids are more susceptible to adverse effects from preservatives since their cells are still rapidly dividing as they grow. Why not offer them easy all natural snacks instead? Chances are they won’t miss the preservatives any more than you will. Here are some ideas for all natural snacks you can get into hungry little hands fast.

Get an ice cream maker

Of course, kids love ice cream and it’s not difficult to make at home with today’s modern ice cream makers. Make enough to treat the whole family using growth hormone free milk and organic fruits along with the sweetener of your choice. Fruit flavored ice cream made with organic fresh fruits are a great way to add cancer fighting antioxidants to your kids’ diets. If you won’t want to invest in an ice cream maker, get a popsicle mold and make fruit flavored popsicles instead.

Dress up a banana

Have you ever thought about the tasty ways you can dress up a banana? Roll a sweet tasting banana in walnuts or pecans and top it off with a little sugar-free syrup or make a healthy banana split using lots of antioxidant rich, organic fruits. Slice bananas and put them into cups of yogurt along with walnuts and a few dark chocolate chips for a heart healthy after school snack. Put a banana on a stick and freeze it in the freezer compartment for an all natural banana pop. Soon your kids will be asking for bananas rather than cookies.

Air popped popcorn

Although popcorn has gained a bad reputation because of its association with movie theater snacks, it’s actually a healthy whole grain food. The key is not to drown it in butter and saturate it with salt. Skip the butter entirely and sprinkle it with a little low fat Parmesan cheese powder for a healthy snack alternative. This one should appeal to kids of all ages.

Don’t forget the peanut butter

Buy all natural peanut butter from your local health food store and spread it onto whole grain crackers. You can quickly create peanut butter nabs similar to the ones in vending machines without all the bad stuff. Be sure to buy all natural peanut butter since some regular store bought brands contain hydrogenated oils. You can also spread peanut butter on celery sticks, carrots, and even fruit slices for a healthy snack that’s high monounsaturated fats.

Put it on a stick

Kids love food on a stick. Slice some heart healthy fruits and vegetables and pile them on skewers to make kabobs. You can buy wooden or metal skewers at your local grocery store. The wooden ones work better for kids as they aren’t as sharp. You can put chunks of almost any fruit on a skewer including chunks of apple, melon, pineapple, or exotic fruits like papaya or guava. It’s a great way to give your kids a variety of fruits in a single serving.

Imagine how good you’ll feel giving your kids all natural alternatives to unhealthy, processed foods that they probably already get too much of at school. All natural snacks are something simple and good you can do for your kids.