The school year has begun, which means that for any child who goes to the preparatory group of a kindergarten or is already at school, the daily routine becomes quite busy. After school, many children go to sections, additional classes in academic disciplines, and there is no time to run home and eat properly. Of course, you can simply give your child pocket money so that he can have a snack somewhere. But it is unlikely that the child will prefer to eat something healthy; he will buy soda, fast food, just to fill his stomach. Therefore, every conscious parent needs to control what their child eats so that he does not have any health problems. We offer you options for quick and healthy snacks that you can give your child with you to school and beyond.
Does your child need a snack?
There is a heated debate among modern parents about whether children need a snack. The essence of this debate is that people simply do not understand the difference between what healthy and disordered eating is:
- If a child constantly chews something (it could be candy, cookies, sandwiches, other fast food), then this is not a snack, but a disordered diet that will definitely not bring any benefit to the child’s body.
- If a child eats a small portion of low-calorie food between main meals, and he does this constantly at the same time, then this is the right snack that helps him replenish the calories expended and not experience severe hunger until the next main meal.
Important! Children under 5 years old must have a snack in the form of lunch (second breakfast) and an afternoon snack. At this age, they are quite active and mobile, and their body needs to consume at least 1,400 calories per day. With proper nutrition, a child cannot eat so much for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so you definitely need to make sure that your baby has a snack. Otherwise, he will have problems with the digestive system.
Main types of lunch boxes
Experts advise choosing a lunch box/thermos for drinks with your child. This way he will be involved, he will feel like an adult, food will evoke pleasant emotions in him - he chose it himself!
1. For sandwiches or salads - simple plastic containers with a secure lid are suitable; they are available in any store. We found a bestseller on Ozone - Food container "Idea", 2 sections, 5 colors to choose from - 106 rubles. The advantages are that the shape has no corners, it’s safe plastic, smells don’t mix, it closes tightly, and the seals are pleasing to the eye!
2. For hot or keeping warm, there are now fashionable metal thermoses with double walls and a screw-on lid. You can find one with a capacity of 0.5 liters and carry liquid porridge, cream soup or cocoa in it. Price - from 500 rub.
3. And just thermal bags with an interesting design. For example, from the famous Skip Hop, the “Owl” lunch box bag costs 1,247 rubles. Inside there is thermal insulation material, there is a pocket for napkins or utensils. The size is exactly what you need: a bottle of drink, a snack, and lunch fit. Good for a medium sized backpack with room to spare.
Photo: ozon.ru, globallookpress.com
What to give for a snack
Now let's figure out what you can give your child to school for a snack, and what is better not to:
- Dairy products are very healthy, but they are perishable. Therefore, do not take risks and do not put anything dairy in your child’s lunch box. From dairy, you can only give your baby a piece of hard cheese.
- Vegetables cut into small pieces are a great option. But these should be vegetables that are not very juicy and easily soiled, because the child may get dirty when he eats them. Give preference to radishes, celery, carrots, cucumbers and sweet peppers.
- From fruits, add small apples (but it is better not to cut them, because they will become chapped and will not give your child an appetite). You can also give your child grapes or any other berries, but not juicy ones.
- For meat, you can give either homemade boiled pork or boiled chicken fillet. Be sure to season the meat with spices and salt. Under no circumstances should you give your child sausage, because there are always many doubts about its quality and what it is made from.
- Boil an egg, preferably a quail one, as it is healthier, and it will be more interesting for the child to eat it, because it is small.
- Bread made from coarse flour is a great option. A couple of slices of such healthy bread will definitely recharge your child with energy and bring great benefits to the body.
- Don't forget about water too. It is better to give clean water to the child, instead of various teas and compotes. Teach your child to drink properly, because water allows all organs and cells of the human body to work correctly.
Tips for parents - so that useful things become loved
School breaks are very short, and the canteen does not always have children's favorite dishes. Most often, buffets sell compotes with buns or unleavened porridge with tasteless gravy - this way the child remains hungry throughout the school day, and this has a negative impact on health.
And even if the mother managed to prepare lunch with her, often the child simply refuses to open his lunch in front of his classmates - yes, yes, the mood of our children is very dependent on the opinions of their peers about their every step. Simply put, food in its usual form, in the opinion of children, looks unfashionable and embarrasses the child in front of others, so it is better to go hungry than to eat porridge with a cutlet in front of everyone.
But mothers never give up on their goals, and share their secrets of turning healthy foods into favorite ones.
Tips for parents - let's decorate lunch beautifully!
- Chops or cutlets great at home, but in lunch boxes they look too homey. To attract your child to eat meat dishes with appetite, stock up on culinary molds. Agree, miniature cutlets in the shape of stars will look very original, and the baby will not be able to resist such healthy beauty. Today in dishware stores you can also find special presses or frying pans for preparing flat cutlets, like in hamburgers - this magical device will not take up much space in the kitchen, and will be useful to a caring mother.
There is another interesting idea for minced meat - a mold with which you can prepare a cutlet with filling. For example, add grated cheese inside - when frying, it will melt and give the cutlets a zest. - Boiled chicken breast or any other bird will look more appetizing if you cut it into cubes - this makes it easier for your child to eat without dirtying his hands and clothes, and you can divide the portion several times.
- Many children do not like eggs But if your child is taught to trust a wise mother, be sure to pack one or two boiled eggs in the lunch box, after peeling them and cutting each in half or into four slices - the student should not waste precious recess on cleaning food and fighting with large pieces.
- Vegetables rarely cause delight in children, and eating a vegetable salad from a lunch box will be inconvenient, and dressings (mayonnaise, sour cream, vegetable oil) only speed up the process of spoilage of the dish. And there’s no point in talking about a greasy stain on a school shirt. But you can teach your baby to eat raw or steamed vegetables in a playful way. To do this, take the time to cut carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes and other desired vegetables into strips, slices (can be dried in the oven, like chips) or cubes.
A mixture of multi-colored vegetable cubes looks especially interesting. Well, so that the child is interested in such a game, set a task for him - how many straws of vegetables will be eaten at school, so many minutes will be added to today's cartoon viewing or to a standard walk with friends. Believe me, such a challenge will be accepted with a bang by the child! - Fruits Most often they go into a school backpack in their entirety, but eating them on the go is not always convenient, and sometimes hunger overcomes them in class - you can’t get a big apple right in front of the teacher. Canapés will come to mom’s aid: cut the fruit into cubes or slices, and string them onto special skewers, alternating with berries.
Like vegetables, hard fruits can also be cut into straws or you can use metal culinary cutters to cut out fancy shapes. It is better to separate the grape berries from the branches in advance to make it easier for the baby to eat them. It is worth remembering that cut fruits quickly deteriorate, so it is better to sprinkle them with lemon juice (for example, this saves an apple from quickly darkening), and remind the child that the first break is simply created for this kind of breakfast. The main thing is that the child has time to have a good breakfast before school - fruit is not the best option on an empty stomach. - Cheeses are an essential ingredient in a schoolchild's diet, but dairy products spoil quickly, so parents, as a rule, do not put them in the children's lunch box. The solution will be the same cutlets with cheese filling or chilled sliced cheese - if you send it to the lunch box the next morning straight from the refrigerator, by the end of the second lesson the product will just warm up to the ambient temperature, and the child will be able to have a satisfying snack.
- Cottage cheese is another perishable product. But here, too, there is a useful idea for mothers: if the child does not like cheesecakes, but prefers sweet curd mass, prepare it the night before and freeze it (you can also add pieces of fruit). The next morning, send the curd mass from the freezer directly to your lunch box - and it will thaw by school lunch.
- Whole grain bread is complex carbohydrates that provide a long-lasting energy boost. Whole grain cereals, cookies, bread and other whole grain products will serve as a rich source of vitamins and fiber necessary for the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the health of the digestive tract in general.
- Sauces are an integral part of our diet, and for children, sauces often serve as the basis of lunch - the child dipped the sauce with a piece of bread, but forgot about the meat and porridge. To wean your child off harmful store-bought ketchups and mayonnaises with flavor enhancers, mothers need to learn how to make even more tasty and healthy dressings for dishes at home, so that the sauce does not interrupt the taste of a hearty meal, but only complements it. Simple options: homemade ketchup (tomatoes, vegetable broth, garlic, a little salt, vinegar, other spices are also allowed), curd and cream sauces (cream, cottage cheese, herbs), sour cream dressings (sour cream, herbs, olive oil) and many others . Remember what sauces your child likes and try to reproduce the recipe at home using natural products.
- sweets since childhood, but store-bought sweets contain many preservatives that are harmful to health. Homemade cheesecakes, sweet pies with cherries, muffins, or granola made from nuts, cereals and honey will come to mom’s aid. By the way, sweet muffins can even be baked from vegetables - carrots, pumpkin, broccoli.
- Drinks should not take up much space in a school backpack, and be sure to give your child only healthy drinks - no store-bought sodas with dyes! Suitable drinks for a schoolchild include sweet black or herbal tea in a thermos, cocoa, pure still water, unsweetened homemade drinking yogurt or fruit smoothie, as well as vegetable juices (buy small bags so that the baby can drink a portion of juice at a time and release place in the lunch box).
- First meal - Of course, it is inconvenient to give your child homemade soup to school, but this difficulty can also be circumvented.
Just beat the vegetable soup with a blender until it becomes a liquid puree, pour it into an airtight box or thermos for food, and a pleasant addition to a hot lunch will be croutons (only without salt and seasonings) made from black bread, toasted at home in the oven.
Healthy snacks
Remember that the snack should be small in size and the number of calories it contains. Based on this principle, we have compiled the following list of healthy snacks:
- Seasonal fruit and a small handful of nuts. This could be an apple and 20 g of walnuts or hazelnuts.
- A sandwich made from whole grain bread and home-cooked cold meat or fish. You can also add cucumber or any vegetables cooked in the oven.
- Dried fruits. For your child to eat them, you just need to prepare them in an unusual way - grind them in a blender, form into balls, roll in honey and cool.
Nuts and dried fruits
babyzzz.ru
You need to eat a handful of nuts a day; they are “batteries” for the brain. Place your favorite treats in the compartments.
4tololo.ru
A hearty and healthy snack - bars with muesli, nuts and dried fruits.
Back to school snack ideas
- Cut vegetables or fruits into thin slices and dry it all in the oven. You will get chips that children love very much.
- Bun with meat filling. Take a regular bun, remove all the crumb from it, and fill it with a mixture of meat, cheese and herbs. To make it even tastier, place a small piece of butter on the bottom of the bun and season the meat dressing with tomato sauce.
- Pita with meat or steamed minced chicken cutlet. This dish is very similar to fast food, but it belongs to the category of healthy quick dishes.
4.Rolls with chicken and vegetables.
Such rolls perfectly satisfy hunger, and the filling contains the necessary proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The most important thing is to choose the right sauce and not use harmful store-bought mayonnaise or ketchup.
The sauce is best made from 15 percent sour cream, adding finely chopped dill and parsley, and a couple of pinches of salt.
For the filling, take boiled chicken, finely chop it or tear it along the fibers. Also cut cucumbers, bell peppers, and any lettuce. Cut the pita bread into small pieces to make the rolls small, put the filling in them, add the sauce, wrap and dry-fry. Pack in parchment.
Lavash roll with chicken and vegetables, recipe with photo >>>
Delicious snacks
- You can make so-called onigiri - these are rice cakes with meat or fish filling inside. They are prepared simply: the rice is boiled, the filling is made, the finished rice is stuffed, balls are formed from this, which are rolled in sesame seeds. To prevent the ball from falling apart, it is best to wrap such onigiri with a sheet of nori.
- Puff pastry envelopes with any filling. Envelopes with cheese and chicken fillet are very tasty. Instead of chicken fillet, you can use salmon.
- Muffin with raisins or milk chocolate. Every mother can bake such a delicacy at home from biscuit dough, which children love very much.
Carrot-hazelnut cupcake
You will need:
- small carrot;
- half a glass of oatmeal;
- half a glass of rye flour;
- half a glass of crushed hazelnuts;
- 100 g raisins;
- a teaspoon of salt and a little soda - on the tip of a knife;
- half tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 3 tbsp. l. honey;
- half tsp Cinnamon;
- whole hazelnut.
Mix grated carrots, cereal, flour, crushed hazelnuts, raisins, salt and soda. Separately combine honey, heated vegetable oil and cinnamon. Mix everything received and distribute it into molds; Place a hazelnut on the top of each cupcake. Preheat the oven to 190°C and bake the muffins for about 20 minutes.
Light snacks
- You can make your child several different canapés. It is modern, tasty, healthy and not very high in calories.
- Fitness bars. These sweets are called that, but in fact they simply belong to the category of dietary food. They are made from muesli and honey. Such sweets will not bring any harm to children, so they can be safely given as a snack.
- Croissant with cheese filling. It is advisable to prepare it from puff pastry without yeast, so that you get a really light snack, and the child does not feel heaviness in the stomach after it.
Nutritious smoothie
Instead of sweet store-bought yogurt, make your child a tasty and healthy smoothie.
. This snack option is suitable for renewing your strength after the first lesson.
- Mix homemade yogurt, berries and fruits
. Any will do - blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, peach and other fruits. - You can make a regular fruit smoothie without yogurt
, as well as a fruit and nut drink with the addition of banana, kiwi, raspberries, hazelnuts and honey. - A smoothie made from three ingredients
– banana, honey and kefir – also has great nutritional value
Important!
Warn your child that the smoothie must be drunk after the first lesson, otherwise the drink will spoil.
Snack recipes
- Ciabatta : These are rolls made from pita bread and various fillings. Roll out the pita bread, brush it with cheese sauce, and place omelette slices, ham, vegetables and herbs on top. After this, roll everything into rolls and bake in the oven.
- Chicken snacks : Boil the chicken fillet, cut it into pieces, then roll each piece in chopped nuts and egg and bake in the oven. To make sure your child enjoys a snack, add some of his favorite sauce to his lunch box.
- Peanut Butter Apple : Take a regular apple and cut it into several pieces horizontally. Spread each apple piece with nut butter and sprinkle with raisins or seeds. You can add honey as a sauce.
Sandwiches
Why not grab a sandwich? Experiment with shapes and fillings, the “children” will be full and full of energy.
www.uaua.info
You can use shaped molds, a toaster, peanut butter, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. You can discuss with your student in the evening “who and what” he wants to eat with tomorrow after math or Russian class. “Beastly sandwiches” will help satisfy your brutal appetite. Eating an elephant is not the same as killing some half-dead worm.
www.uaua.info
A pancake can also serve as the basis for a sandwich.
www.uaua.info
By the way, sandwiches do not have to be made from flour products. Place the filling of cereal, nuts, etc. between the round apple slices.
www.uaua.info
Snacks for Teens
A teenager is already an adult who is able to independently make some not very difficult decisions. For example, he decides whether he needs a snack or not. But if from childhood you teach such a child to eat something between main meals, then there will be no problems with this. If you are the parent of a teenager, here is what you can feed him in snacks:
- A piece of boiled or baked dietary meat with grilled vegetables. You can also give your child compote or herbal tea, which will tone him down.
- Cottage cheese casserole with berries and chamomile tea.
- Ham sandwich and some kind of fruit. You can also give him a smoothie made from the berries he likes. Do not add fermented milk products to smoothies, as this may make the drink unsuitable.
Yogurt
If the room is not very hot, you can safely give fermented milk products for a snack. The only thing worth taking care of is sealed, convenient packaging and a disposable spoon.
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Place the ingredients in layers in a small container in advance (so that the child can eat at one time), cover with a lid. Fresh or frozen fruits and berries, cereals, and nuts are perfect for this snack. Without stirring, layer yogurt, fruit, cereal, etc. Instead of yogurt, you can fill one layer with whipped cream from a can.
Healthy and healthy snacks
- Vegetable muffins. You can add pieces of vegetables directly to the dough or make a separate filling.
- Carrot or pumpkin pie.
- Carrot sticks with cheese sauce and a slice of whole grain bread.
- Steamed minced turkey cutlet and cherry tomatoes.
- Cupcake with meat filling. You can replace it with any homemade sweet cupcake.
Custard salted buns
What do you need:
- 200 g water
- 100 g butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 120 g flour
- 3 eggs
- 50 g bacon or ham
- 50 g hard cheese
- 5-6 sprigs of parsley or dill
How to make buns
- Pour water into a saucepan, add salt and butter cut into small cubes. Place on fire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and add all the flour, stirring vigorously. Stir until the dough forms a ball and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and let cool slightly - 10-15 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth each time.
- Cut the bacon or ham into small cubes, grate the cheese on a fine grater, chop the herbs and add to the dough. Mix.
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using a pastry bag or two spoons, place the dough onto a baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Cool before use. Can be frozen.
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Low-calorie snacks
- An ordinary apple or a couple of slices of carrots and cucumber are not a very filling snack, but they are considered dietary. In any case, the child will not feel hungry until lunchtime.
- A handful of almonds - literally 10 pieces. If you eat more, you will end up with too many calories.
- Ham rolls with herbs as filling and lettuce.
- Banana is a very filling fruit, which, by the way, contains happiness hormones. It will not only saturate your child, but will also lift his spirits.
- Citrus and herbal tea. Tangerines are a storehouse of vitamins that will help your child feel energetic throughout the day.
Thin pancakes with apples
What do you need:
- 200 g premium wheat flour
- 500 ml cold milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. spoon of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Apple filling:
- 3 sweet and sour apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- zest of 1 orange
- Peel the apples and cut into small cubes. Place apples in a frying pan, add sugar and zest. Fry over medium heat with the lid open until the apples are caramelized. Cool.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of apple filling on the pancake and wrap it up.
- The pancakes are frozen. Can be heated in a frying pan with butter added.
Quick snack recipes
- Prepare the pancake, spread it with peanut butter, place a sliced banana on top, and place an almond on each slice. This is definitely a filling snack. Therefore, it should be small in size, and the child can be given either water or herbal tea as a drink.
- Pizza in the form of rolls. Lay out the puff pastry and cut it into triangles. Stuff them with meat and cheese and then place in the oven for 15 minutes. Everything needs to be cooked at a temperature of 200°.
- Ham rolls: Brush a slice of ham with cheese sauce and add some other sliced vegetables (carrots, celery or cucumber). Roll the ham into logs.
- Apples in honey and cinnamon. Cut the apple into slices without removing the peel. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon to taste. Microwave for 15 minutes. Cook using the “Grill” mode.
- Take 2 bananas and cut them into equal sized pieces. Dip each piece in Greek yogurt with any fruit topping and refrigerate overnight.
Even when you prepare a light snack for your child for school, choose foods that you are absolutely confident in. There should be nothing raw in a child’s lunch box - every meat or dairy product must undergo heat treatment, and vegetables and fruits must be washed under running water.
What to do if your child does not eat school lunch with him/her
- Perhaps you didn't wash his box well enough and it left an unpleasant odor.
- The child does not like the design of the box.
- Too dry food. Add sauce or add a couple of slices of tomato.
- Lunch is boring. Change the ingredients every day.
- I don't like the food. Pack your child's lunch box together and give children the opportunity to choose.
- Is it too much? If so, just reduce your portions.
- It's inconvenient to eat. Many children do not eat home-cooked food because they are afraid of getting dirty due to inconvenient packaging.
- Doesn't have time to get hungry while studying. Make sure your child has a good breakfast and eats well when he gets home from school. Maybe this is enough?
Roll
You can wrap a lot of healthy and nutritious things in thin pita bread. Spread the base with curd or processed cheese, add finely chopped stewed vegetables, boiled meat or eggs, fish or cottage cheese and roll into a roll. For convenience, cut the roll into portions.
Several recipes for lavash rolls and pies:
- Lavash-based pies with cheese
- How to make a hot dog in pita bread - a simple recipe
- Lavash roll with minced meat, baked in the oven
Snacks and canapés
Canapé recipes are quite simple. Let your child take food on skewers to school: this design of the snack will whet the appetite and delight the child. You can prepare them in the morning with your children. Eating this lunch is simple and convenient, because it is already cut into pieces. The snacks are prepared quickly, and the bright tiny sandwiches will please your little restless one.
Canapé recipes that you can prepare for school:
- Preparing canapés with fetax cheese
- Canapes with mozzarella and cherry tomatoes – Funny penguins
- Bright and cheerful canapés for children
Advice. Show your imagination - you can string potato balls, nuggets, baked mushrooms onto skewers.
