Do you struggle to get your kids to eat healthy snacks? You are not alone! Many parents try their hardest to make their children eat snacks that are healthier and it is sad to say that many fails. The truth is that veggie snacks are not very appealing to kids, which is why you need to get creative with what you feed them. It is important to try and make the veg snacks you give them as delicious as the usual snacks they eat. Fortunately, it is not impossible to prepare yummy veg treats as there are plenty of great recipes that are perfect for kids of all ages!
21 Homemade Healthy and Delicious Veggie Snack Recipes for Kids
Here are 21 easy recipes that you can use to make veg snacks that are filled with goodness for your little ones:
Homemade Baked Apple Chips Recipe for Kids
You will need:
Apples – 1 per person
- Baking sheets (thick-bottomed) and parchment paper
- The first thing that you need to do is preheat your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
- Slice your apples thinly and arrange them carefully on the baking sheet. Make sure that they do not overlap.
- Put them in the oven and bake for 1 hour
- After an hour, flip them over and let them bake for another hour
- Once they are done, remove them and let them cool so that they become crispy
Now all you need to do is to store them in an airtight container and take them out whenever your kids want a snack!
http://thevietvegan.com/baked-apple-chips/
- Baked veg chips: This snack has loads of nutrients from vitamins and minerals to fibre! It is an awesome way to get your kids to eat their veggies!
You will need:
- Vegetables like beets, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery root and others of your choice
- Baking sheets
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipe/baked-veggie-chips/
- Carrot fries: Carrots are rich in various nutrients, including vitamins A, C, D, B6 and B12, iron, calcium, antioxidants, fibre, etc. This snack is a healthier alternative to potato French fries, and your kids will love them!
You will need:
- Fresh carrots – 1 pound
- Olive oil – 2 teaspoons
- Kosher salt – ½ teaspoon
http://www.momables.com/baked-carrot-french-fries/
- Mango fruit rollups: Mangoes are super-fruits that all kids love. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, C, B6, E, copper, potassium, and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin as well as poly-phenolic antioxidant compounds.
The next step is to bake the puree for 3-4 hours. Once it becomes pliable and dry, they are done. Now, take a piece of wax paper and place it on top of the rollups. Once that is done, peel off the rollups and the paper together. Cut into long strips and then roll them up. Store them in an airtight container and you can make them last for about a week, allowing your kids to enjoy this healthy snack whenever they get a little peckish!
- Yummy sweet potato chips: Sweet potatoes are healthy due to their richness in vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, calcium, iron, magnesium, dietary fibre and loads more. Chips made of this veggie are super-good for your kids!
All you need is:
- Sweet potatoes
- Salt
- Canola cooking spray
- Parchment paper
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2013/01/homemade-sweet-potato-chips-quick-microwave-snack-recipe.html
- Roasted chickpea snack: This is another snack that is so much healthier than potato chips. Chickpeas have loads of dietary fibre, protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals. Roasted chickpeas are crunchy and delicious, so this snack is sure to be a hit!
You will need:
- Chickpeas – 2 cans
- Olive oil – 2 teaspoons
- Seasonings that you want to add (garlic parmesan, honey cinnamon and sesame soy go well with chickpeas)
- Pudding with chocolate and avocado: Kids love sweet treats and with this one, you get to combine two superfoods – cocoa powder and avocados! You give your little one loads of vitamins, minerals, fibre, beta-carotene, lutein as well as essential healthy fats and fatty acids.
You will need:
- Ripe avocados – 4
- Light coconut milk – ¼ cup
- Unsweetened dark cocoa powder – 4 tablespoons
- Honey – 3 tablespoons
- Melted dark chocolate – 2 ounces
- Vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons
- Salt – 1/8 teaspoon
- Toppings – coconut whipped cream, whipped cream, cocoa nibs, sprinkles
http://www.howsweeteats.com/2013/02/chocolate-avocado-pudding-yep-its-a-thing/
- Banana bites: This is a great snack for toddlers, and it is super-easy to make! Not only is this delicious fruit packed with vitamins and minerals, it also has loads of antioxidants, dietary fibre, and healthy natural sugars like sucrose and fructose which give your kids the energy they need.
You will need:
- Banana – 1 (mashed)
- Apple juice – 1/3 cup
- Peanut butter – 1/3 cup (you can also use butter if your child is allergic to peanuts)
- Vanilla – 1 teaspoon
- Egg – 1
- Whole wheat flour – 2/3 cup
- Oats – 1 1/3 cup
- Baking soda – 1 teaspoon
http://www.superhealthykids.com/banana-cookies/
- Creamy red lentil and carrot soup: When your kids are playing indoors on a chilly or rainy day, make them a hearty soup with healthy veggies. This is one soup that not only tastes awesome, but is also filled with goodness. Red lentils have fibre, protein and vitamins and minerals like Vitamin A, folate, potassium, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus.
You will need:
- Red lentils – 1 cup
- Carrots – 500 grams (peeled and cut into ½ inch slices)
- Coconut oil – 4 teaspoons
- Coconut milk – 1 can (13 ½ ounces)
- Onion – 1 (chopped)
- Curry powder – ½ teaspoon
- Juice of half a lime
- Salt and pepper
- Water
http://yummyaddiction.com/creamy-roasted-carrot-and-red-lentil-soup/
- Fruit salsa: This is a super-healthy snack that is packed with nutrients that every kid needs. It is easy to make and so refreshing that even you will not be able to resist it!
You will need:
- Mango pieces – 1 cup
- Pineapple chunks – 1 cup
- Strawberry halves – 1 cup
- Frozen blueberries (unthawed) – 1 cup
- Frozen blackberries (unthawed) – 1 cup
- Flaked coconut – 1 Oz
- Whole wheat pita – 2 (large)
- Unsalted butter – 1 tablespoon
- Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon
- Sugar – ½ tablespoon
http://www.superhealthykids.com/fruit-salsa-snack/
- Mini mushroom pizzas: Mushrooms have fibre, folate, Vitamin C, D, B6 and loads of essential minerals. This snack is sure to be a hit with the kids as it is yummy and fun to eat!
You will need:
- Mushrooms with the insides removed
- Toppings like pineapple, olives, mozzarella cheese, olives, red and green bell peppers, zucchini, bacon, pepperoni and pizza sauce.
http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-superbowl-snacks-mushroom-pizza-bites/
- Kale chips: You know that kale is one of the healthiest veggies around with its richness in vitamin and minerals as well as other nutrients such as phytochemicals like sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, flavonoids like lutein, beta-carotene and zea-xanthin, etc. This snack is an excellent one to give your kids!
You will need:
- Kale – 1 bunch
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Seasoned salt – 1 teaspoon
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/
- Baked squash rings: These are so much better than onion rings! Squash gives you Vitamin A, B6, C, E, thiamine, folate, magnesium, calcium and lots of other nutrients which is why this snack is great for kids!
You will need:
- Medium-sized butternut squash – 1
- Medium-sized acorn squash – 1
- Coarse grain salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Olive oil
Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/baked-squash-rings-recipe.html
- Corn crackers and avocado: This is a snack that is simple yet very good for the kids. Avocado has loads of goodness, especially Vitamin E. This snack takes just a few minutes to make and is pretty yum!
You will need:
- Corn crackers (or rice crackers, whichever you prefer)
- Avocados – cut into wedges
- Tomatoes – sliced
- Cheese (ricotta or cottage)
You guessed it! All you need to do is top each cracker with a tomato slice, avocado wedge and cheese. You can make as many as you. The kids can top their own crackers as well, which will make them feel important and have fun as well!
- Muffins with banana and cheese: This is another easy-to-make snack that is perfect for kids of all ages. You get loads of health benefits from the bananas, cheese, honey and other fruits that you may add. This is also a snack that kids can top on their own!
You will need:
- English muffins (toasted) or crumpets or whole-meal toasts
- Ricotta cheese
- Bananas (sliced)
- Blueberries (or any other berry)
- Honey
All you need to do is top the muffins or toasts with the bananas and cheese. Drizzle some honey on top and add the berries. Voila! Your simple yet amazingly-tasty snack is ready for the little ones to munch on! It does not get better than this!
- Cheesy zucchini: Zucchini is a wonderful veggie to give your kids. It is rich in all the essential nutrients including antioxidants, phytonutrients as well as dietary fibre. This snack is high in taste as well as health benefits.
You will need:
- Medium-sized zucchini – 2
- Medium-sized yellow squash – 2
- Fresh basil (chopped) – 2 to 4 tablespoons
- Green onion (thinly sliced) – 2 tablespoons
- Dried thyme – ½ teaspoon
- Garlic powder – ¾ teaspoon
- Low-fat grated white cheese – 1 cup divided into 2 equal parts
- Grated parmesan (coarse) – ½ cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Source: http://www.kalynskitchen.com/
- Raspberry oatmeal cookies: Kids love snacking on cookies. Instead of giving them store-bought ones that are packed with refined sugar and other bad stuff, bake a healthy batch of delicious cookies at home! Raspberries have lots of vitamins and antioxidants while oatmeal gives your kids the fibre they need. With this recipe, you use honey instead of unhealthy refined sugar. This is an excellent snack for kids of all ages!
You will need:
- Instant oats – 1 cup
- Fresh raspberries (diced) – 6 tablespoon
- Whole wheat flour – 1 cup
- Melted coconut oil – 2 tablespoon
- Baking powder – 1 ½ teaspoon
- Ground cinnamon – ½ teaspoon
- Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – 1/8 teaspoon
- Honey – ½ cup
Firstly, preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Next, take a bowl and whisk the oats, baking powder, flour, cinnamon and salt together. In another bowl, whisk the coconut oil, vanilla and egg together. Stir in the honey until it is well incorporated. Add in the oats mixture and stir until they are blended well. Now, fold in the raspberries and chill the dough for 30 minutes minimum. Next, drop the dough into 15 scoops on the baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet before you transfer them onto a rack. Once cooled, your little ones can munch on tasty healthy cookies!
http://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/
- Yummy goldfish crackers: This is a recipe that uses whole-wheat flour instead of the usual white flour. This is a healthier choice and is good for kids. They are fun because of the shapes and taste awesome too!
For this, you will need:
- Whole-wheat flour – 1 cup
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or extra sharp if you prefer) – 220 grams
- Cold unsalted butter (cut into cubes) – 60 grams
- Salt – ¼ to ½ teaspoon
- Cold water – 2 tablespoons
http://food-4tots.com/2013/07/31/homemade-goldfish-crackers/3/
- Banana chips: Everyone loves banana chips, so why not make them a snack for your kids? As mentioned earlier, bananas are full of health benefits as they are a rich source of different nutrients. This is a simple recipe that does not require too much effort!
You will need:
- Ripe bananas – 2 or 3
- Lemon juice
http://naturallyella.com/2011/03/29/baked-banana-chips/
- PBJ pizzas: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a classic and kids love them. However, they can get very boring, so why not get a little creative and make them more fun? Peanut butter is chock full of goodness like antioxidants, Vitamin B6, magnesium, protein, monounsaturated fats, etc. This is definitely a super-snack for kids!
You will need:
- Peanut butter
- Good quality pizza crust
- All-fruit preserve
First of all, warm up the pizza crust in a toaster oven. Once that is done, spread the peanut butter and preserve on the crust and cut into wedges. Simple! Now all your kids need to do is dig in!
http://www.vegkitchen.com/kid-friendly-recipes/healthy-snacks/
- Veggie omelet: Combine the nutrients in eggs and veggies by making a delicious omelet for your little ones. This is a hearty snack that will fill up kids’ tummies whenever they get a little hungry. It is easy and quick to make, so it is perfect!
You will need:
- Eggs – 4
- Veggies of your choice (thinly cut)
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Grated cheese (or sliced if you prefer) – 1 handful
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/4669/fromthefridge-omelette
With so many amazing veg snack recipes available, you do need to feed your kids unhealthy snacks anymore. With a little creativity and a twist here and there, you can get your kids to eat veggies without complaining!