Healthy Nibbles

With school starting up soon  kids are going to be noshing and nibbling like crazy.The problem is eating right.What 's the perfect one? The healthiest choice, of course!

Any kid of any age loves finger foods.Yes, they may reach for the pizza rolls and head to McDonald's for nuggets.
These  are great maybe once in a while for fun however the best bet is go homemade. Instead of the store bought pizzas use whole wheat English muffins with fresh tomato and low fat mozzarella.Drizzle with olive oil and bake in an oven or toaster oven for fifteen minutes at 325 F. Sprinkle fresh picked basil on for more flavor. As for those chicken nuggets, think soy which are lower in calories but big on flavor.Morningstar Farms has them and they taste like the real thing.Create a home made honey mustard by mixing antioxidant rich honey with mustard. You can also make a homemade salsa to go with it.This can also go well with whole wheat tortilla chips too. Julienned peppers and carrots are great nibbles too when paired with spiced Greek yogurt. Add a dash of cumin or curry powder for zip.

Kids are hard wired for sweets.Its easy to reach for sodas and candies to boost up flagging energies.Try flavored waters like Hint that really do have a hint of flavor or the BAI juices and sodas. Both are only five calories each and come in a varieties of flavors like dark cherry and dragon fruit. Try all natural cookies like Back To Nature.They have a wide variety of types to choose from such as Oreo like sandwich cookies along with mint and peanut butter ones. This is still summer so have plenty of plum's, peaches and nectarines on hand too.These make excellent snacks and are easy to carry to activities. As the season progresses add in apples and pears too. Apple slices dipped in cinnamon are a great snack .  Keep snack cakes, cookies and even sugar drenched energy bars out of reach.If there are protests explain that sugar is no good and will make them too hyper.Steer them towards more natural sweeteners like dark honey, stevia  or agave nectar.

Snacking can be both fun and healthy.Make sure good for you nibbles are on hand. Your students will thank you for it .