Choose Fruit for Healthy Kid or Adult Snacks

by Erika Lutz | More from this Blogger

18 Jan 2007 10:14 AM

If you have kids, then I'm sure you've heard, "I'm hungry" quite a few times, right? I don't know about you, but I often forget that snack time is coming up, and, of course, my child has not forgotten about it. I usually give her a few choices for her snack, and she'll usually choose the same ol' thing, goldfish crackers and raisins.

While raisins are a great snack choice and very healthy for her to eat, the goldfish crackers are not so much, and I really should find a healthier alternative to them, for instance whole wheat or whole grain crackers. A better choice of crackers would make the snack quite a bit healthier for her.

Lately I've been offering snacks involving fruit, trying to wean out the usual crackers, like a cut-up banana, orange, or apple. It really does not take too much effort to cut up an apple into small enough pieces for my daughter to enjoy. And when she is really hungry, she is more willing to eat an apple than at other times when she just might feel like having a snack in front of her.

I am really excited that she will eat these fresh products, and I know I could encourage her to eat them more if I eliminated the processed snacks from the majority of her snack diet. Of course, the snacks she eats are really up to what I place in the house.

Other great snacks for her that I sometimes have in the cupboard are dried cranberries (of course similar to raisins yet a bit different taste), dried papaya, dried banana chips, and other dried fruits. Dried fruits taste very sweet and are very good for a body as well. When I get hungry for something sweet, a piece or two of dried fruit will usually take care of my craving, and I should be eating it more often, too, to keep away from processed and sugared snacks.

Not only are dried and fresh fruit great snacks but so is canned fruit. Think how easy it can be to open up a can of fruit cocktail or peaches (try to find a brand without added sugar or syrup) - very easy! Peaches can be mixed with cottage cheese for even more of a fulfilling snack.

Whether dried, fresh, or canned, fruit makes a great snack or part of a snack. Next time you and I hear those words: "I'm hungry," we both might want to think more about giving fruit.

Related Blogs: Children's Fun and Health Snacks The Healthy Tooth Diet Food Storage: Storing Fruits and Vegetables

Learn more about Erika Lutz

Erika Lutz is a 26-year-old wife of 5 years and mother of a 2-year-old. Although Erika grew up in Louisiana, she currently lives in Colorado where she stays at home with her daughter.

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