14 easy and healthy snack ideas for kids

It’s 3.58 pm. A slow tension starts to brew in the pit of my stomach. In about 120 seconds, my mild-mannered, reasonably well-adjusted children are going to transform into two loud, ‘hangry’ monsters of Hulk-sized proportions.

It’s 4 pm. And all hell will soon break loose.

It’s every mother’s post-lunch dilemma. We spend so much time planning perfectly nutritious meals; we tend to skip over snack time. Packaged goods like wafers, biscuits and other store-bought munchies make an appearance, and your kids fill up on junk. However, with a little careful preparation, the 4-pm snack time can be nutritious yet delicious. And those starving little devils transform back into sweet, well-fed cherubs.

Your fortnightly snack menu

Here’s how you can keep your kids happy and satiated, with these following recipes. Here are 2 weeks’ worth of ideas so that you can plan ahead.

#1 Avocado on toast

This is the favourite snack among the millennial crowd (and we know how picky they are!). You can enjoy it plain, or you could get creative with toppings. It tastes delicious either way.

Ingredients (serves one):

Small, ripened avocado – 1
Whole wheat toast – 2 slices
Garlic flakes – 1/4 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil – 1/2 tsp
Dried chilli flakes – 1/4 tsp
Chopped onions or tomatoes (optional) – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Recipe:

Toast the whole wheat bread
Cut the avocado and remove the pit.
Remove the avocado flesh with a spoon
Mash an avocado and sprinkle salt
Mix the olive oil with chilli flakes & garlic and pour over the mashed avocado
Gently smear the avocado paste on the toast
Add the chopped onions or tomatoes on top.

Cooking time: 10 minutes

#2 Poha in milk

This is the perfect desi substitute to processed cereal and tastes even better.

Ingredients (serves one):

Poha – 1 cup
Milk – 150 ml
Date or jaggery syrup – 1 tbsp
Sliced almonds, pistachios or raisins – (optional)

Recipe:

Dry roast the poha gently on a tava
Mix in the date or jaggery syrup, along with the nuts/dry fruits
Pour in the warmed milk and serve immediately

Prep time: 10 minutes

Note: You can also swap the poha for puffed amaranth

#3 Coconut cookies with jaggery

If your little one can’t live without biscuits, here’s a recipe you can make together, and enjoy together.

Ingredients (serves four):

Whole wheat flour — 1 cup
Desiccated coconut — 1/4 cup
Baking powder — 1/4 tsp
Ghee — 3 tbsp
Elaichi powder — 1/2 tsp
Jaggery powder — 100 gms
Water — as needed
Butter/oil — for greasing the baking tray

Recipe:

Heat the microwave or oven to 180 degree Celsius
Mix the whole wheat flour, coconut and baking powder, and then add the ghee
Add in the elaichi and jaggery powder
Mix some water in to make a dough
Once the dough is made, make small balls using your palms
Slightly flatten the balls and place inside the greased tray
Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 25 minutes
Rest the cookies for a minute or two, then serve when cooled

Cooking time: 35 minutes

#4 Homemade eggless mayonnaise

A spoon of mayonnaise can elevate any ordinary sandwich into a kid-happy snack. Dice up veggies like potatoes or carrot, or even a boiled egg, mix in the creamy mayo and voila!

Ingredients (serves four):

Olive oil — 1 cup
Full fat, cold milk — 1/2 cup
Sugar — 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice — 1 tbsp
Vinegar — 1 tbsp
Salt — as needed

Recipe:

Pour the oil into a blender
Add the milk
Next, add the sugar, lemon juice, vinegar and salt
Blend all the ingredients for 8-10 minutes
Once the mixture thickens and becomes smooth, the mayo is ready

Cooking time: 10-12 minutes

#5 Baked sweet potato chips

Who knew something this crunchy could be this healthy? Baked sweet potato crisps are heaven sent when your child is craving something sinful.

Ingredients (serves two):

Large sweet potatoes — 3
Olive oil — 2-3 tbsp
Sea salt/rock salt to taste

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 120 degrees Celsius
Peel the sweet potatoes (optional)
Make thin slices (you can even use a vegetable peeler if your knife skills aren’t very good)
Place the pieces in a bowl and slowly add a little olive oil till every piece is coated
Sprinkle salt over the chips
On a tray, place the baking paper and then lay the pieces down flat
Bake for 2 hours at 120 degrees Celsius, while turning the wafers over at the halfway mark
Once wafers have crisped up, cool and serve with tomato sauce or hummus

Note: You can also try other veggies like zucchini

Cooking time: 2 hours 15 minutes

#6 Capsicum and corn cheese toast

Anytime, our kids eat their veggies as part of a snack; it’s a win for us. This yummy treat is the perfect snack for those 4-pm hunger pangs.

Ingredients (serves one):

Peeled corn — 1 tbsp
Grated cheese (can mix different cheese) — 2-3 tbsp
Diced capsicum — 1 tbsp
Butter — 1 tablespoon
Whole wheat bread — 2 slices
Salt to taste (optional)

Recipe:

Preheat the microwave or oven to 180 degrees celsius
Butter the bread slices on one side
Add the grated cheese and veggies on top of the bread (also sprinkle salt if needed)
Bake the cheese toast for 8-10 minutes
Once the cheese melts, take the toasts out and cool
Serve immediately with ketchup

Cooking time: 20 minutes

#7 Homemade fruity popsicles

These are ideal for hot summers but can be enjoyed all year round. They are also perfect for when your kid’s craving something sweet.

Ingredients (serves two):

Watermelon/muskmelon/pear (any 1 or more fruit) — 250 gms
Honey/jaggery/raw sugar (optional) — 2 tbsp
Moulds or ice tray for storing the popsicles

Recipe:

Mash your chosen fruit into pulp
Pour the sweetening agent and mix well
Fill up an ice tray or mould pulpy juice into an ice tray or a popsicle mould
Wait for the lollies to freeze overnight
Serve the next day at snack time

Quick Snack ideas

Here are easy 10-minute recipes for those times when you don’t have time

#8 Paneer with chaat masala

Cut the paneer into bite-sized cubes (or even exciting shapes like stars or hearts)
Coat each piece of paneer with a sprinkle of chaat masala and serve

#9 Boiled peanuts with chaat masala

Boil 250 gms of peanuts in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles (10-15 minutes)
Cool, sprinkle chaat masala and serve

#10 Mix fruit salad

Slice or dice any three fruits: apple, banana, anar, chickoo, pear, etc.
Add one or two spoons of fresh cream and mix

#11 Tawa-fried rotis

Smear a dollop of ghee over leftover rotis from lunch
Bake the rotis on the tava till they turn crisp
Enjoy plain or sprinkle jaggery powder over the roti

#12 Homemade peanut butter

Grind roasted peanuts in the mixer for 4-5 minutes till they turn into a paste (don’t stop at the powder stage, keep going)
Add salt along with honey or jaggery powder to sweeten the butter
Mix well and serve on toast, khakras or even apple slices