Nutritious School Snacks

When you send a snack or birthday treat to school for your child, or your child and his or her classmates, please consider sending a nutritious one.

Serving nutritious snacks to children is important. They can provide good nutrition, support lifelong healthy eating habits, and help prevent costly and potentially disabling diseases.

Snacks play a major role in children's diets.

The following suggestions are great snacks:

Fruit

Fresh fruits -- all varieties-whole, sliced on a tray, or mixed in a fruit salad bowl.

• Yogurt dipping cups for sliced fresh fruit
• Frozen fruit - frozen grapes are fun to eat fruit and cheese kabobs
• 100% fruit / fruit juice bars
• Dried fruits
• Fruit cups packed in juice or light syrup
• Fruit leathers w/ no added sugar

Vegetables

Raw vegetables served with a low fat dressing, hummus, guacamole, salsa, bean dip, or peanut butter.

Healthy Grains

• Whole grain crackers w/ low fat cheese
• Angel food cake w/ fruit topping
• Rice cakes
• Vanilla wafers
• Popcorn - air popped
• Animal Crackers
• Baked chips
• Graham Crackers
• Pretzels, breadsticks, mini Bagels
• Fig newtons

Low Fat Dairy

• Yogurt
• Low fat ice cream/ ice milk
• Cheese cubes
• Low fat pudding cups,
• Frozen yogurt
• Cottage Cheese
• String cheese

Meat / Meat alternatives

• Nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Peanut butter
• Trail mix
• Soy butter spreads
• Hummus
• Sandwich quarters w/ lean meats

Beverages

• Plain and flavored low fat milk
• Yogurt smoothies
• Water plain and flavored (calorie free)

100% Fruit juice, or fruit juice drinks containing at least 50% fruit juice Fruit punch made with 100% fruit juice and no calorie ginger ale or club soda