Fresh carrot sticks, celery, broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, just about any vegetable or fruit that you can think of, are the most healthy food choices that you and your children can have.
Cut them in finger food sizes and arrange on a platter in an eye pleasing way, or just grab some out of the fridge.
You should be careful not to overdo fruit because of the sugar content.
Many supermarkets have prepared fresh fruit and veggie snacks which will save you time in cleaning and preparing…if time is an issue. The good thing about these plain snacks is that you don’t have to worry about fat and sodium. You can eat all you want with the exception of limiting fruit…and you don’t have to worry about calories.
The twelve fruits and vegetables most contaminated with pesticides,known as the “Dirty Dozen”, are:
- peaches
- apples
- bell peppers
- celery
- nectarines
- strawberries
- cherries
- kale
- lettuce
- grapes (imported)
- carrots
- pears
It is preferable to purchase these fruits and vegetables grown organically. If you cannot find the organic produce, or the price for these fruits and vegetables is extremely high, just be sure you rinse these items well.
DIPS
Dips can add flavor and good nutrients to the fresh vegetables, and can be considered a tasty addition to healthy food snacks.
One of our favorites is hummus, a Middle Eastern chickpea dish. There are many different seasonings that can be added to vary the flavors, and you can spread hummus on bread or crackers for an added treat. Baba ganoush (sometimes spelled baba ghanoush) is another Middle Eastern dip made with roasted eggplant.
Another dip that you will want to try is salsa, a chopped fresh tomato base dip with spicy ingredients added. This is one of the best healthy food choices.
There are commercial preparations of these dips. Be sure to read the labels before purchasing so that you don’t get stuck with too much fat, sodium and chemical additives.
(inspired by choose-healthy-eating-for-life.com)
