Ensuring that kids eat healthy and meet their daily nutritional requirements can be a concern for parents if they constantly pick unhealthy food to snack on. At the same time, parents can choose to make healthy and easy snacks interesting for kids and keep them happy while eating nutritional food. Here are two healthy and easy-to-make snack recipes for kids that they will surely love. You can also ask kids to be a part of the cooking process so that they enjoy what they make.

No-bake granola balls

Ingredients

• 2 cups of dry roasted whole oats (minced lightly)
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup local honey
• 1/4 cup virgin cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup dry roasted chia seeds (minced lightly)
• 1/4 cup dry roasted flax seeds (minced lightly)
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried unsweetened blueberries
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon powder
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

• In a large bowl, let your kids add all the dry ingredients, along with the blueberries, and stir and combine them well.
• In another bowl, add all the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly to make a smooth paste.
• Allow your kids to slowly pour this paste over the dry ingredients and mix well.
• Add a little more honey/oil/almond butter if the granola mix is too dry, but ensure that it does not become soggy.
• Refrigerate this for 30 minutes.
• Then, let kids use ice cream scoops of different sizes to spoon out the mixture into their hands and roll it into balls.
• These easy-to-make snacks for kids are bite-sized, crunchy, and healthy, and you don’t have to worry about messy eating either!

Banana bran muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups wheat bran
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 brown eggs
• 2 large, ripe bananas (mashed)
• 3/4 cup brown granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup softened butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped dry-roasted pecans
• 1/4 cup chopped dry roasted almonds
• 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and lightly coat muffin trays with cooking spray and keep aside.
• In a bowl, whisk the eggs and brown sugar until smooth.
• Add the mashed bananas to this and combine well.
• To this banana mixture, add buttermilk, butter, olive oil, and vanilla extract, and mix thoroughly.
• Take another deep bowl, add all the dry ingredients, and give them a good mix.
• Then, combine both the wet- and dry-ingredient mixtures with the raisins and whisk well.
• Scoop this batter into the prepared muffin trays, and sprinkle pecans and almonds on top.
• Bake the muffins for approximately 15 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can leave them in the oven for 5 minutes and then loosen the edges, take the muffins out, and leave them on wire racks to cool.
• These healthy and easy snacks for kids are sure to keep them coming back for more, but ensure that you keep a watch and don’t let them binge.