by Angela Richter-Gronross It can be hard to come up with creative healthy snacks for kids. When I was a kid it was all about convenience, meaning just about anything pre-packaged was a great idea.

Parents nowadays want to get back to basics and have their kids eat healthier. Children can be picky eaters, but coming up with healthy snack ideas doesn't have to be difficult or time consuming. Here are a few tasty ideas I’ve come across:

• Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
• Spread celery sticks or sliced apples with natural peanut butter or cream cheese. Top with raisins.
• Make mini snack kabobs. Put cubes of cheese on pretzel sticks. Or cheese and grapes!
• Blend low-fat milk (soy milk, almond milk, or rice milk), a scoop of protein powder, frozen strawberries, and a banana in a blender for a yummy smoothie.
• Sprinkle grated Monterey jack cheese over a corn tortilla. Fold in half and heat in a pan (or microwave for 20 seconds). Top with a mild yummy salsa.
• Toast a whole-grain waffle and top with low-fat vanilla yogurt and sliced peaches.
• Make a mini pizza by drizzling tomato sauce on a toasted English muffin. Sprinkle with shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese.
• Warm a cup of tomato or vegetable soup and serve with whole-wheat crackers.
• For an on the go snack, mix ready-to-eat cereal, raisins, and nuts and place in a sandwich bag.
• Dinosaur Kale Chips! – Wash and tear leaves from stem. Coat with a tsp of olive oil. Arrange on cookie sheet (not touching). Bake at 300 degrees for 15-20 min. Sea salt to taste.

We'd love to hear your healthy snack ideas! In the Comments below please share your family's favorites.

Happy Snacking!