Saturday, October 12, 2019

Healthy Montessori Preschool Snacks

healthy-snacks-Little Wonders-Montessori One

You know that nutritious foods are the right choice for your child, but in a world full of fast and convenience foods, it can be a challenge to get your child to eat healthy snacks. Why would your kids want to eat carrots and apples when they can choose candy bars and potato chips? But packaged snacks are often full of added sugars, refined flour, saturated fat, salt, and artificial ingredients. Fortunately, there are plenty of snack options that are both healthy and delicious. Here are a few treats for Montessori Preschool in Winnetka.



Yogurt

Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and protein. Calcium plays an important in strengthening kids’ developing bones. Some yogurts contain live bacteria, which help with digestion. However, most yogurts made for kids are high in fat and sugar. To make it healthy, choose plain, full-fat yogurt and use a drizzle of honey or piece of fruit to sweeten it. You can also improve the taste and nutritional value by making a fruity yogurt pop or whipping up a yogurt parfait with granola and berries.

Oatmeal Cookies

Instead of buying the high-fat, high-sugar cookies from the store, why not bake some low-fat oatmeal cookies for your Montessori preschooler. Oats are high in soluble fiber, which benefits the body by increasing beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Skip flavored packets and make your oatmeal cookies with whole, rolled oats. You can also add in nuts or fruits to boost the taste and nutritional value. Try using mashed bananas, diced apples, cranberries, raisins, or dried apricots. Then you can feel better about packing the cookies with some milk.

Raisins

Raisins are dried grapes that have a lot of good things going for them like vitamins, potassium, and fiber. They contain a decent amount of iron needed to transport blood throughout the body, and which many kids don’t get enough of. What’s more, raisins contain plant compounds, such as oleanolic acid, which help prevent bacteria from sticking to your child’s teeth.

Ants on a Log

Kids love to create fun food like ants on a log. It looks like ants climbing across a log, but it’s a great source of protein, minerals, and vitamins. You can even let your preschooler help. To make this snack for Montessori Preschool Winnetka, wash a few celery stalks and cut them into small pieces. Let your preschooler spread natural peanut butter into the crevices of each stalk. Peanut butter is a great source of potassium, fiber, and antioxidants. Then, your kid can add a few raisins (“ants”) in the peanut butter. You can make this snack more fun by using hummus and chopped up vegetables, cottage cheese and chopped up fruit or vegetable, or guacamole and black beans. If your preschooler isn’t a fan of celery, you can use a carrot stick or a piece of banana as the log.

Kebabs

This is an easy and healthy snack to put together. All it takes is a pita pocket, small pieces of cheese, fruits, and some pepperoni. These give your child zinc, calcium, and other important minerals and vitamins. Arranging the small healthy pieces into a delicious kebab can make this snack even more fun for your kids. And you can get more creative and allow your kid to pick and choose his favorite toppings to put on.

Fresh Fruit

A piece of fruit is a convenient and healthy snack to take on the go. Most fruits contain fiber, vitamins A and C, and important nutrients like potassium. Pears, Apples, bananas, grapes, berries, plums and peaches are examples of fruits that can be used for grab-and-go snacks for Montessori preschoolers. Cut fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, mango, and pineapple into bit-size pieces and pack for your child. You can also pair with nuts, cheese, yogurt, or milk for a balanced snack. A healthy snack can provide your preschooler with the nutrients and energy he needs on a daily basis. Instead of prepackaged, store-bought snack foods, offer your kids whole, unprocessed foods for Montessori Preschool Winnetka snack time.