As a busy parent, preparing kids snacks that are healthy seems like a monumental task. On any given day, you are tired and your chore list is never-ending. Now imagine this: your toddler is hungry and crying loudly. You trod over to the cupboard to grab some prepackaged, processed food snack to soothe your little one. Is this the exception or the norm?

There is nothing wrong with processed snacks every once in a while, but if we eat them on a daily basis, their sneaky trans fats and saturated fats can add up quickly! We all know that whole foods are better for our health but what do we do to swiftly appease our hungry children? Here are a couple of kids snacks that are delicious, healthy and easy to put together:

1. Fruit smoothies
If you are short on time, fruit smoothies couldn’t be any easier. Just throw some of your kid’s favorite fruit, some non-fat Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey into the blender and blitz away. The Greek yogurt gives the smoothie a delicious and creamy texture that is sure to satisfy. A go to smoothie recipe is frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, Greek yogurt and honey. Scrumptious and all-natural! Skip the sugary yogurts and offer your child a homemade fruit smoothie.

2. Hummus and veggies
Hummus is a savory dip that is made of garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon, and garlic. You can make your own hummus in a food processor but for the sake of time, just buy some pre-made hummus from the grocery store. Make sure to take a look at the ingredient list to ensure you are getting a quality product. Pair the store-bought hummus with some baby carrots or sugar snap peas and that makes for quite a healthy snack for your little one.

3. Deviled eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and vitamin B. Put some eggs in a pot of water, boil for 10 minutes, and peel. Now you have an easy base for a delicious snack of deviled eggs. Simply remove the yolks, mash together, and mix with an olive-oil mayonnaise, mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper. Refill the egg whites with the creamy yolk concoction and enjoy!

4. Ants on a log
These are fun to make and are visually appealing. What is more entertaining than having your child be part of the snack assembly? Have your kid smear an all-natural peanut butter on pieces of washed and cut celery. Then you can sing a song or tell a story about ants on a log as you and your child plop raisins down on the celery log. This snack is a blast to make and nutritious too!

5. Trail Mix
It is easy to buy a bag of pre-made trail mix but what if you want to avoid artificial colors and unnecessary additives? Easy! Just mix together a bunch of roasted almonds, chunks of your favorite dark chocolate, dried fruit, and roasted cashews to make your home-made mix! Have your child participate in the activity by adding the ingredients into the bag or jar and shaking it up to mix all the ingredients well.

Kids snacks that are healthy do not need to be complicated or over-the-top. Simple and nutritious ingredients are the key in assembling healthy snacks for your children. Avoid the sugary juices, the sodium-laden crackers, the sickly-sweet cookies and make more fresh snacks at home. Have fun with it and your child will surely enjoy the quality time and the quality food.