GOOD-TO-GO Snacks

Snacks may not seem like they add up to much, but the truth is, they are a very important part of your child’s diet and overall health too. Snacks help to give us energy between meals. They fuel our brains and give us the nutrients we need for our bodies to function at their very best. Even though individually they are smaller than regular meals, the way we snack day-to-day can make a large impact on our health and performance.

The key to a healthy snack: Pack in as many healthful nutrients as you can with as few “extras” as possible. Healthy nutrients include vitamins, minerals, water, and healthy sources of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. “Extras” account for added sugars, transfats, artificial sweeteners, and sodium. The best way to choose healthy snacks is to shop the perimeter of your grocery store. This is typically where you will find the more healthful, less processed foods. These foods include fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains, and healthy protein sources. It is best to limit the amount of pre-packaged and highly-processed snacks we eat as they are usually high in at least one of the “extras.” These types of foods may seem tempting because of their convenience, but the fact of the matter is, we end up paying for them over time with our health and our pocket books.

To get the most out of your “GOOD-TO-GO” snack list, try to pair at least one food from the fruit, vegetable, or grain list with a food from the dairy or the protein list. Remember, choosing real,unprocessed foods is usually the best way to go, but some examples of packaged snacks that fall within the parameters of the Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines for snacks are listed below. This is not an all-inclusive list, so be sure to read labels when choosing snacks. Be creative and have fun!

GOOD-TO-GO Snack List:

Grains

When choosing foods from this section look for whole grain varieties. It is recommended to make at least half of your grain choices whole grains. Also, beware of any added sugars. According to the Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines, aside from fruit without added sugar, we should try to choose snacks with less than 9 grams of sugar per 100 Calories. Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines also recommends no more than 35% of Calories from fat (except for cheese, nuts, nut butters, and seeds). Choose grain products with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

  • Dry Cereals
  • Best Choice: Corn Crisps, Happy-O’s, Honey Nut Crisps, Rice Crisps, and Wheat Crisps.
  • Cascadian Farm: Multigrain Squares, Cinnamon Crunch, Raisin Bran, Hearty Morning, and Honey Nut O’s varieties.
  • General Mills:Cheerios, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios,Multigrain Cheerios, Honey Kix, Original Kix, and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and Wheaties.
  • Kellogg’s: Rice Krispies, Crispix,
  • Malt-o-Meal: Honey Nut Scooters and Oat Blenders
  • Post: Honey Bunches of Oats in Original, Fruit Blends, Pecan, and Almond.
  • Quaker: Life Cereal in Original, Cinnamon, and Maple & Brown Sugar. Life Crunch Time Cereal in Strawberry and Green Apple. Oatmeal Squares Hint of Honey & Hint of Brown Sugar.
  • Total: Whole Grain.
  • Granola Bars
  • Cascadian Farm:Chewy Granola Bars in Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Almond, Dark Chocolate Cranberry, Vanilla Almond Cherry varieties and Crunchy Oats and Honey varieties.
  • Kashi:Chewy Granola Bars in Trail Mix, Dark Chocolate, and Honey Almond Flax varieties. Soft Baked Squares in Almond or Chocolate.
  • Nature Valley: Crunchy Granola Bars in Oats & Honey, Peanut Butter, Apple Crisp, Cinnamon, Maple and Brown Sugar, Pecan Crunch, Oats and Dark Chocolate varieties
  • Try making your own homemade granola bar recipe and have your kids help*
  • Granola trail mixes
  • Whole grain muffins*
  • Honey graham crackers
  • Mini whole grainbagels
  • Rice cakes
  • Fit and Active Brand or Quaker Brand: Lightly salted variety
  • Sliced whole grain bread
  • Whole grain crackers
  • Kashi: Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers in Original and Roasted Garlic. Snack Crackers in Original 7 Grain, Honey Sesame, and Toasted Asiago varieties.
  • Dane:Breton Original Crackers, Breton Multigrain Crackers, Breton Sesame Crackers, and Breton Zesty Veggie Crackers.
  • Wheat Thins: Hint of Salt, Sundried Tomato Basil, 5 grain Fiber Selects, and Flat Breads.
  • Triscuits: Original, Sea Salt and Black Pepper Brown Rice, Red Bean Brown Rice, Rosemary, Roasted Garlic, and Cracked Pepper.
  • Wellington: Stone Wheat Crackers.
  • Whole wheat pita wedges
  • Whole wheat tortillas

Vegetables

Variety is key when selecting veggies. Try to choose a good variety of colorful vegetables. Each vegetable offers its very own set of healthy nutrients.

  • Bell pepper rings
  • Broccoli
  • Carrot or cucumber sticks
  • Cauliflower
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Try making homemade kale chips

Fruits

Aim for variety in the fruits that you choose. If choosing canned fruits or fruit cups, be sure that they are packaged in either their own juice or plain water. Avoid fruits canned or packaged in syrups which add nothing but unnecessary sugars. If choosing fruit juices, be sure to select varieties without any sugar added, and remember limit juice intake to 4-8 ounces per day. Although juice may contain some healthy nutrients, it is also very high in sugar and lacks the healthy fiber that is naturally in whole fruit.

  • Apple sauce cups with no added sugar
  • Apple Slices
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Diced peaches in 100% fruit juice.
  • Dried fruits such as raisins or dried apricots without any added sugar
  • Grapes
  • Kiwis
  • Mandarin orange cups in 100% fruit juice.
  • Orange or tangerine sections
  • Pineapples, fresh or canned in their own juice
  • Strawberries

Dairy

Dairy products are excellent sources of calcium. It is recommended to choose low-fat varieties in order to avoid excessive saturated fat intake. These products need to be kept cold throughout the day. Be sure to send your child with an ice pack in their lunch box to keep these products at a safe temperature or check with your child’s teacher to find out if refrigeration is available if bringing these foods.

  • Low-fat cheeses: sliced or string
  • Low-fat cottage cheese snack cups
  • Mini yogurt cups
  • Skim-2% milk

Healthy Protein Sources

According to Missouri Eat Smart Guidelines, except for cheese, nuts, seeds, and nut butters, snacks should have less than 35% of total Calories coming from fat. Many protein sources need to be kept cold throughout the day. Be sure to send your child with an icepack in their lunch boxes that will keep these foods at a safe temperature or check with your child’s teacher to find out if refrigeration is available.

  • Bean Dip
  • Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Hummus
  • Peanut Butter
  • Pistachio Nuts
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Sliced Turkey or Other Lean Meats

Examples of healthy snack combinations:

  • ½ peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
  • Apple Slices with peanut butter.
  • Carrot or cucumber sticks with hummus dip.
  • Celery with peanut butter and raisins to make ants on a log
  • Granola bar with one cup of low-fat milk.
  • Healthy homemade muffins with one cup of low-fat milk.
  • Healthy homemade trail mix.
  • Honey graham crackers with milk or yogurt.
  • Low-fat cottage cheese with pineapple chunks.
  • Mini bagels with peanut butter.
  • One slice of cheese on top of a rice cake.
  • Strawberries dipped in yogurt.
  • Whole grain bread with peanut butter and banana slices.
  • Whole wheat pita wedges with bean dip.
  • Whole wheat tortillas with cheese or sliced lean meat for a tasty pinwheel.
  • Whole, fresh fruit with string cheese.

There is no end to the list of healthy snack ideas that can be imagined. Be creative, have fun, and enjoy better health.

*Many times schools require that snacks be store-bought or prepackaged if your child is bringing snacks for their classmates. Check with your child’s teacher to learn about specific guidelines for shared snacks in schools.

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