5 Healthy Snacks for Picky Eaters

Have you been looking for healthy snacks for picky eaters?

Families tend to have at least one picky eater in the house. This can often create a lot of stress for parents ... and kids.

It never fails. Whatever I make for meals or snacks, someone complains about it and doesn't want to eat it.

Sometimes there's not much you can do to get around this complex struggle. Is it really something we should be trying to avoid, anyway?

I'm of the opinion that kids should be exposed to all types of foods. In many cases, they should be forced to try foods.

When my kids were little, none of them liked vegetables. If I had given up after a few times of them complaining about the broccoli or peppers on their plates, they still wouldn't like vegetables.

But I didn't give up. I kept offering it to them. And over time, they started liking vegetables.

They still have their favorites, and a few they don't like, but overall, my kids enjoy eating vegetables.

For that reason, I think it's worth it, in the long run, to put up with the whining and complaining and not just always give them what they want.

It is possible, though, to find a balance. We as parents can give them snacks they love that are also healthy for them.

I'm going to give you 5 snack ideas to try with your kids that are not only healthy, but also fun to eat. Try these healthy snacks and see what your kids think.

#1 – Fruit Kabobs

These are so simple and tasty! Your kids will think it's extra fun to eat their fruit off of a stick. And because they're colorful, it's even more likely your kids will want to eat them.

Any fruit combination of your choice will work, but here are a couple different ideas.

Try a kabob with cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew. Or make it a berry kabob with strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. My favorite combination is strawberries, pineapple, and green grapes.

Get creative and even let your kids tell you what they want on their kabob.

#2 – Homemade Trail Mix

A trail mix package you buy at the store is easy, but not always the healthiest.

Aside from homemade trail mix being healthier, another great reason to make your own is that you can add any ingredients you want and your child can even help make it.

Here are some ingredient options:

• Peanuts
• Almonds
• Cashews
• Raisins
• Cranberries
• Banana chips
• Granola
• Pretzels
• Coconut shavings
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Pepitas
• Dark chocolate chips
• Peanut butter chips

The chocolate chips and peanut butter chips aren't the healthiest options, but in small quantities it may be fine. If you want a sweet component, though, without those, dried fruit works perfectly!

Store bought trail mix bags tend to include M&Ms. But with the food coloring dye, those options are not ideal.  This is a great alternative.

One thing your child will love to do is make their own trail mix. Lay out all of the ingredients you're okay with using and let them pick what will go into it.

#3 Smoothies

My kids have always loved smoothies. There are many different recipe options, but I find that we always tend to gravitate to the same one.

Our favorite is strawberries and bananas. We add them with milk (yogurt is optional) and ice and it's done!

I like to "clip" a strawberry to the edge of the glass and add a straw for aesthetics because it makes my kids feel like they're getting a really special drink.

When my kids were younger, I added a few secret ingredients to our smoothies too. I would add blueberries for antioxidants.

And I always threw in a little bit of green (spinach or lettuce). They never knew the difference.

You can also make protein shakes with protein powder, almond butter, and a banana. My son loves drinking one of these after practice.

#4 Healthy Dips

Give your child an experience snack. Sometimes just having a beautiful tray of food will make them more willing to eat.

I recommend using a healthy dip, like hummus, as your base.

Then add some "dippers" around it, like baby carrots, celery sticks, apples, snap peas, cucumbers, bell peppers, and crackers. Give them options and they may try them all.

Another healthy dip selection is peanut butter, or another nut butter like almond or cashew. You could also try guacamole, salsa, a fruit dip, or Greek yogurt.

Kids are much more likely to eat vegetables and fruits if they have something fun to dip it in.

#5 Meat & Cheese Stick

For a powerful punch of protein, one easy snack is wrapping a slice of healthy lunch meat around a cheese stick.

To make this snack easier and more fun to eat, cut the cheese stick in half and secure the deli meat with a toothpick.

Add these with some carrot sticks or cucumber slices and you have a great, healthy snack.

Healthy Snacking For Picky Eaters Needs to be Fun

Hopefully one of these 5 healthy snacks for picky eaters will help. It seems that children enjoy eating more when it's fun.

Having a different environment also makes snacking more exciting.

We want to make sure we're not worried about how many meals a day they're getting

If meals are usually around the kitchen table, take your snacks to the living room floor. Put on a kids' show or pull out a family game and the kids will snack while they are occupied.

These little changes can make the world of difference in your child's health. They will start to love the flavors of healthy foods instead of the common junk that most kids eat daily.

Best of luck with your picky eaters!