With the school year in full swing, parents may be wondering how to keep kids nourished during the school day and after school. Providing your child with healthy snacks is an excellent way to keep them focused and full throughout the day. A healthy snack can include foods from all five food groups—fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains, and dairy—to give children the energy they need between meals.

Snacks can provide a great energy boost between meals and supply important vitamins and minerals. With a bit of planning and a little creativity, you can offer kid-friendly snack ideas that can please even your pickiest eater. Making healthy snacks to be packed or eaten at home does not have to be difficult or expensive. Here are a few simple recipes you can use to offer kid-friendly snacks that are healthy and fun.

• Fruit: Try easy-to-pack fruits like oranges, apples, grapes, and bananas, or pack diced fruit in a bag
• Tortilla chips and dip: Combine tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole. (Look for tortilla chips that are baked, with less than 200mg of sodium per serving on the label)
• Trail mix: Mix a combination of nuts such as almonds or cashews; seeds such as sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds; and dried fruit such as dried cranberries, bananas, or raisins to make your own trail mix
• Popcorn: Homemade or store bought (look for brands with less than 200mg of sodium per serving on the label)
• Fruit kabobs: Cut your favorite fruits and place them on a stick. For added flavor, dip the fruit kabob in vanilla yogurt
• Green smoothies: Combine fresh and/or frozen fruits with spinach, 100 percent fruit juice, and yogurt or soy milk
• Mini bagels: Top mini whole wheat bagels with nuts (such as peanut, almond), or seed butter (such as sunflower seed butter)

Not only are these snack ideas delicious and healthy, but they can be prepared in advance and aren’t very expensive. In addition to being kid-friendly, they are delicious enough that you might even find yourself snacking on them, too. 

Katie Panczner is an intern at Montefiore Health System’s Office of Community and Population Health.