Sarah Glinski, RD
Canadian Digestive Heath Foundation
As kids head back to school, almost a third of their daily food intake comes from snacks, making snack time a prime opportunity to pack in nutrients like protein, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Healthy snacks not only support growth but can also improve academic performance and energy levels throughout the day.
What Makes a Healthy Snack?
Choose foods from Canada’s Food Guide: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, lean proteins, and lower-fat dairy products. These are naturally lower in added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats, while offering fibre and essential nutrients. Keep portion sizes small, pair with protein or healthy fats for lasting fullness, offer water instead of juice, and limit highly processed options like chips, candy, and cookies.
Peanut-Free for Safety
With peanut allergies affecting over 3% of Canadian children, many schools are peanut-free to prevent life-threatening reactions. Nut-free spreads like sunflower seed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed (tahini), soy, coconut, and oatmeal butter make excellent substitutes.
Snack Ideas to Try
- Fruit & Veg: Fruit kabobs, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, celery with seed butter (“ants on a log”), cucumber “sushi” rolls, and veggie kabobs with hummus.
- Savoury: Cheese with whole-grain crackers, roasted chickpeas, pita chips with salsa, or hard-boiled eggs on rice cakes.
- Chocolate Treats: Dark chocolate-dipped fruit, cocoa energy bites, banana muffins, or avocado chocolate pudding.
- Vegan-Friendly: Coconut yogurt parfaits, chia seed pudding, or banana seed butter roll-ups.
- On-the-Go: Fruit cups (in water/100% juice), veggie sticks with hummus, air-popped popcorn, or homemade trail mix with seeds, dried fruit, and a few dark chocolate chips.
Bottom Line
Snacks make up a big part of kids’ diets, so make them count! With a little planning, you can provide quick, tasty, and nutrient-rich options that keep kids fuelled, focused, and ready to learn.
Learn more at CDHF.ca.
