Any healthy eating plan is not complete without some great healthy snacks included. Everyone wants a snack now and then, but the key is to make those snacks healthy and nutritious as well as delicious. In addition to that they need to be enjoyed without a feeling of guilt.

The following are all healthy eating snacks made with fruit.

A piece of fresh fruit, like an apple, orange or banana always makes a great snack.  Keep a bowl of fruit on your kitchen counter or on the coffee table for easy access and it will also encourage to whole family to eat healthier.

A mixture of fresh fruit and dried fruit will give you different textures, still provide a sweet taste and are a lot healthier for you.

A small bowl of fresh fruit salad. Empty a can of mandarin oranges in natural fruit juice and add some grapes, pieces of apple, pear, raspberries, blueberries or anything else you fancy and keep it in the fridge. Have a small amount when you feel the urge to snack.

A fresh fruit smoothie made with any left over fruit from your fruit salad, bananas or any other fruit combined with semi-skimmed milk.

Slice 1 small apple and dip it in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter for a tasty treat.

Make some fruity kebabs. These are easy to make and are a great activity for children to join in with and learn about healthy food. Here’s the recipe which makes 8-10:

Ingredients
2 or 3 different types of melon
125g seedless red grapes – washed
125g seedless green grapes – washed
125g strawberries – washed and hulled

Utensils – wooden skewers; chopping board; knife; tablespoon and plate/s

Method
Cut the melons in half and scoop out the seeds with a tablespoon, discard. Cut into wedges.
Use a knife to separate the melon from the skin. Cut the melon into chunks.
Take the grapes off the stalks.
If the strawberries are large cut them in half.
Thread alternate pieces of fruit on to the skewers. Serve chilled.

HOT TIP: Try using other varieties of fruit such as fresh pineapple (cut into chunks) or slices of kiwi fruit.

Let’s start with some facts:

Fruit and vegetables bring amazing health benefits

We need to educate children about the benefits of eating fruit and vegetables

Children need to adopt a healthier diet to avoid health and obesity problems in later life

 

All simple statements, but in practice it’s not so easy getting kids to eat more healthily which is exactly why it needs to be made fun and interesting.

Fruit is often considered by children as the boring alternative to crisps, chocolate and cakes. And sadly, despite the outstanding health benefits, maybe there is some truth there. Oranges, apples, plums and all the usual run-of-the-mill fruits, salads and vegetables that parents try to smuggle into the lunchbox could well be considered bland.

But apples and oranges are not the be all and end all of fruit. What about the more interesting, exotic fruits and vegetables that readily available on our supermarket shelves? Foods that not only taste delicious and can be incorporated into interesting dishes, but that also look and feel interesting too, stimulating the imagination and sparking natural inquisitiveness into where they came from.

There is a plethora of mouthwatering recipes involving exotic foods just waiting to be tried; keep them simple and your kids can help you with the preparation giving them hands-on experience as well as the opportunity to learn a range of new skills and boost their knowledge of worldwide cultures at the same time. For example, how delectable do these sound?

Avocado pear salad with cherry tomatoes, cucumber and crispy lettuce leaves

Pineapple fruit salad with ice cream, strawberries, citrus fruits and of course, pineapple!

Mango pancakes with strawberry jam

Green banana and carrot mash with vegetarian sausages

Sweet potato baked chips with a sour cream and chive dip

Butternut squash and blueberry treat

Plantain ice cream

 

Children will never fail to find these dishes fun to make, and they will suddenly realise that healthy foods can actually taste good too.

You could also enhance your educational efforts by including educational resources such as books and toys into the healthy eating curriculum. Take a look in your local bookstore, search online or if you are a school or nursery teacher, consult your resources supplier and you will soon come across specialist products that are designed to help younger children recognise and learn about worldwide, exotic foods and healthy eating.

Children are the future; so make sure their future is healthy and packed with the goodness of fruit and vegetables! Make learning about healthy eating fun by introducing children to the exciting world of exotic fruits and vegetables!