5 Ideas For Snacks Outside The House – Parenthood

Children’s nutrition makes a big difference in their development. Making a habit of carefully preparing snacks to take out of the house helps them grow up healthy. A snack should be nutritious, provide energy, and of course, be tempting enough that they’ll be happy to eat it.

It sounds like a lot of demands, but how do you avoid falling into a eating routine that ends up being low in nutrients but high in sugar and trans fats? It is about aiming for something simple, and good, by trying to incorporate cereals, milk, fruits but also various proteins.

The options for these snacks are very varied : a cup of milk added to a slice of bread, nuts or even oatmeal muffins will give children something delicious and healthy. Give children a touch of creativity, let them have fun with their snacks.

The importance of snacks in children’s diets

The snack has a compensatory function between lunch and dinner. Children are constantly consuming calories. Indeed, for them, four to five meals a day are essential. At each meal, the nutritional needs of the time of day must be met.

Regarding the nutritional aspect, lunch and dinner should each provide 30% of daily calories. In addition, the breakfast brings 25% of the contributions and the snack 15%. Respecting these proportions will make it possible to achieve a balanced diet.

Snacking is best done in the middle of the afternoon, when lunch has already been digested. This is also when the body needs a new source of energy. Snacks taken outside the home do not require large preparations or portions. It is therefore convenient that they are light enough to arrive with an appetite for dinner.

5 nutritious ideas for snacks outside the home

Snacks taken outside the home have a special flavor. The nicer ones tend to include both salty and sweet flavors, like a breakfast. For example, a glass of milk or juice will allow children to get the liquid and water they need. Here are five delicious ideas that are tempting just to read.

1) Cheese, pâté, serrano ham and bread. Very simple, but with the calories and protein needed by mid-afternoon. Two or three servings of each ingredient are enough to make your child feel full. Remember that it is important to take care of protein intake. Indeed, these nutrients have been shown to play a key role in muscle health.

2. Cereals, Yogurt, and Fruit : As these are snacks outside the home, fruit should be cut for convenience. Ideally, the ingredients should be separated during transport. Then the child should mix them right before eating them. It will be a particular alternative for children who play sports and need large amounts of protein and vitamins. Remember to buy yogurt with no added sugar.

Recipes that take longer to prepare

3. Carrot, Banana, or Squash and Milk Muffins : It seems pretty crazy to ask parents today to make homemade snacks for their kids. However, it is not that much work. One option is to prepare snacks once a week and then distribute them over each day of the week. There are many recipe ideas for making muffins for kids.

4. Homemade cookies with dark chocolate, coconut, nuts and oatmeal : There’s no question that out of the house snacks for kids need to be energetic. Therefore, they must contain dried fruits. To drink and accompany this treat, nothing better than a glass of vegetable milk: choose coconut, almond or soy. This recipe contains a significant amount of oats. This nutrient helps prevent constipation, according to research published in the Journal of Medicinal Food.

Remember the nutrient difference of homemade cookies: homemade cookies are easy to make. In addition, they are much healthier than industrial cookies.

5. Light Pizza with Whole Wheat Flour, Goat Cheese and Fruit Juices: Snacks taken away from home will be remembered as magical afternoons. To do this, children must find these snacks delicious when they are eaten. Homemade pizzas taste unbeatable. In addition, you can add Parmesan, arugula and olives to it.

Tips for storing snacks outside the home

Finally, another important tip: you must provide packaging adapted to the dietary requirements of the child. It is therefore useful to bring a small, preferably insulated lunch bag with an airtight closure. These lunch bags are reusable many times over. Therefore, they do not pollute and respect the environment.

In addition, reusable bottles are convenient options for transporting milk or juice. The containers with lid, tupperware style, will also be practical. There are different shapes and models of these containers. On the other hand, we do not recommend buying them too large. On the contrary, the snack must be perfectly contained to avoid problems during transport.

Prepare healthy snacks

Finally, as you’ve seen, it’s easy to make healthy, nutritious snacks for kids. Remember to always favor fresh foods and avoid ultra-processed foods which can be harmful to health in the medium and long term.