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Hi I'm Tracy Metro for the Kraft Kitchens. How many times have you heard:
[off-screen child's voice] Mom, I'm hungry!
In the middle of the afternoon?
Billions, right?
The challenge is to satisfy them and
instill in them good eating habits that will last them a lifetime. So, here are the golden
rules for smart snacking for kids:
Make it fun.
Balance your food groups.
And keep portions small.
So, let's start with the fun part.
You want them to eat more vegetables?
Well try serving them with Lite Ranch Dressing that they can dip into.
It's great to use snack time as an opportunity to fill in your child's food pyramid for the
entire day. It's also a good idea to serve well balanced snacks.
Think at least two food groups at a time.
For instance, if you're serving carbs like bread or crackers
add some protein.
These are Ritz cracker sandwiches and they are so easy to make.
You put your bologna,
your cheese,
that the kids have cut out into cute fun shapes,
your tomato,
your cucumber,
and some Miracle Whip
and your sandwich is done.
And isn't that cute?
Next stop is Ants on a Log, an oldie but a goodie. It's good with either cream cheese
or peanut butter.
And of course some raisons for the ants.
Smoothies made with low-fat vanilla yogurt, fat free milk, frozen berries and Crystal Light
offer some calcium and vitamin C.
Looking for something warm to offer up?
Try these mozerella snacks.
All you have to do is melt a piece if string cheese on a Ritz cracker in the microwave
and serve with some warm spaghetti sauce for dipping.
Kids love cookies!
So, pair a serving of cookies with a small glass of milk for a treat you can feel
good about giving them.
There are lots of reduced-fat products on the market right now that make it easier for
moms to give kids something special without overdoing the fat.
These strawberry NILLA nibbles are made with reduced-fat NILLA wafers
and Cool Whip Light with a fresh strawberry on top.
Kids love juice, of course,
but not all of juice for kids is created equal.
So, you want to look around for the ones that say 100% fruit juice.
Notice the amounts of food I'm showing you here?
A good appreciation of portion control
can help your child eat right now
and later in life.
Lots of snacks come pre-packaged in right-size containers.
Like the JELL-o and the pudding cups.
And now lots of kid's favorite crackers and cookies
are in one-hundred calorie packets.
Reinforce the learning with these by pouring them into a little bowl reserved just for snacks.
You can use a little ramekin or a custard cup
or do a fun project of having the kids decorate their own special plates with their
names on them.
Listen, kids get hungry when they get hungry.
But and good rule of thumb is to try and time snacks two or three hours before lunch or dinner.
Look for these and lots of other great snacking ideas and kid friendly meals at Kraftfoods.com.
I'm Tracy Metro for Kraft Kitchens.