School is almost out for the summer and if you’re not hearing the “I’m hungry” litany yet from your child(ren), chances are you soon will be. Doesn’t it seem like those kiddies of yours are ALWAYS hungry? Hunger is a sign of a healthy growing child, but what you don’t want to be doing is filling up your kids’ growling bellies with empty calories. That’s only setting them up for unhealthy eating habits and potential weight problems down the road.

These snacks are not only good for your kiddos; they’ll also help youngsters develop smart eating patterns that will serve them for a lifetime. Best of all, they’re quick, tasty and fun! 

• Happy Face Pizza: Start with a whole grain base like a half of an English muffin or a wheat pita. Top it with a low-calorie tomato sauce and low-fat shredded cheese. Then, let the kids go creatively wild with their favorite healthy toppings. Try black olives for eyes, shredded carrots for hair and red pepper strips for the mouth.
• School’s Out Party Mix: Mix together whole grain cereal and dried apricots, raisins or other dried fruit with their favorite chopped nuts or sunflower seeds. Set the mixture out in small bowls to encourage healthy snacking without overeating. You might also let your kids put all the ingredients in a Ziploc baggie and do the mixing themselves with a good shaking. This party mix also tastes great stirred into low-fat yogurt.
• Beat-the-Heat Fruit Smoothies: Show those young ’uns for yours that experiments can be fun—and tasty! Allow your kids to test drive various combinations of fresh fruits. Strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and pineapple are all great choices. Put two or three in the blender with a quarter cup of skim milk or low-fat yogurt and one ice cube. Add additional milk or yogurt gradually until the smoothie reaches the desired level of consistency.
• Pop Goes the Corn Weasel: Pressed for time? Microwave a single-serve bag of low-fat popcorn. Top it with grated low-fat cheese for added flavor.

What we eat now is almost always the result of the eating habits we developed while growing up.  So let’s do our part to make sure that our youth grow up to be healthy and know the difference between a good diet and a bad diet instead of leading them to become a contributor to the obesity problem that plagues America.