Most often I love to take my nephews for an evening walk, and mostly they end up making me buy them packed goodies. Several times I am at the receiving end for encouraging their unhealthy food habits. But I understand that kids are not to be blamed for their tastes because the packed food culture is slowly assimilating into our lifestyle. Rarely, you meet kids who are not attracted to one or the other form of fast food or packed food.

Parents are equally fascinated with such packed food ideas because the only thing they need to do is opening a food packet, and stuffing the contents into their kids' Tiffin boxes. These things go well until the kids don’t develop severe bowel problems or other scary health issues. Most of the packed food items are found to contain high sugar and fat. Also, they are made using low quality raw items. It is believed that many of the teenage deaths due to heart attacks are caused by chemicals in the packed food. Here are some healthy snacks ideas for children. All mothers can try some of these ideas before it’s too late.

Fruits: Most of the fruits have good shelf life. Fruits can be served as whole or they can be cubed or sliced andor chilled. You can prepare sauces, jams and juices using fruits and store them with the help of natural preservatives. If your children show dislike towards consuming whole fruits, then, you can trick them into trying fruit salads, smoothies and fruit candies, which can be easily prepared at home. Dry fruits can also be served as mid-time snacks, when your kids are back after a quick match (as nowadays kids spend more time in schools and colleges than at home).

Vegetables: Vegetables can be served in the form of salads, curries, and fries.  Raw vegetables can be served with dips. Try to make low-fat or fat less salad dressings like fat-free Ranch or Thousand Island. Also, you can try out serving boiled vegetables by sprinkling some authentic and aromatic spices, which most of the kids like. You can make some changes in the breakfast routines like replacing the regular bread butter routine with wheat bread-peanut butter. Also, kids can be encouraged to try veggie packets like wheat pitas etc.

Healthy Cereals:  Whole grain cereals like cheerios, grape-nuts, raisin bran, and wheaties can be tried as snack items. Whole grain crackers like Triscuits or whole wheat Matzos with low –fat cheese and peanut butter can also be served at tea time instead of cream filled doughnuts and biscuits.

You can also experiment with Rice Cakes, Popcorn, Baked Tortilla Chips, Granola and Cereal Bars, and Pretzels, Breadsticks, and Flatbreads during the snack time.

As most of the kids show affinity towards bottled drinks, you can help them in trying out the low fat milks, fruit juice, soy and rice drinks.

It may take time for kids to pick up healthy food habits, but mothers should keep on experimenting, and trying till they succeed in dissociating their kids from the clutches of fast food culture.

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