Clever snacks for kids

Children have high energy requirements and therefore require small regular meals and snacks. Finding snacks which are a source of fibre, vitamins and minerals and with no added salt, artificial colourings and preservatives can be a challenge.

Here are a few suggestions for nutritious and fun snacks:

• Make apple “boats”: Cut an apple into wedges. Spread peanut butter on the one side and then dip into chopped almonds. Stick a toothpick into the apple wedge.

• Make fruit and vegetable sticks by adding grapes, baby tomatoes, chunks of watermelon or pineapple to kebab or cocktail sticks. Add cubes of cheese or cooked chicken for extra protein.

• Make your own dried fruit and nut mix by combining raisins, cranberries and unsalted nuts (e.g. almonds, pecans or cashews)

• Try our convenient snack mixes: Cashews & Cranberries, Gourmet Fruit & Nut Mix and Munch Pack, which are a source of fibre and have no added salt.

• Make sandwiches using wholegrain bread and cut out shapes using a cookie cutter.

• Add a mixture of nuts and dried or fresh fruit to plain yoghurt. Drizzle over honey or agave syrup, if desired.

• Spread Nairn’s oatcakes or oat crackers with delicious toppings (e.g. avocado, hummus or salmon and cream cheese). Nairn’s oatcakes and oat crackers are available in wheat-free or gluten-free variants. Visit Nairn’s SA website for more topping ideas (www.nairn’s-oatcakes.com)

• Try a delicious Nairn’s biscuit. Wheat-free and gluten-free biscuits are available in convenient pouch packs, which are easy to pop in a lunch box. They are a source of fibre and have no artificial colouring, flavouring or preservatives.

• Mix fruit juice, e.g. litchi, mango or pineapple juice with coconut water (try Hydro Coco Coconut Water available from Health Connection). Enjoy as a drink or pour into ice lolly moulds and freeze.

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