Our children’s nutrition is vital to their health and development, both in school and in sports. Teach your kids about healthy choices today to establish healthy habits for tomorrow. Set a good example by involving them in meal planning, introducing them to cooking and portion control and getting active!

Growing, active kids get hungry, and often. But knowing how to snack in a healthy way allows them to munch away and get the nutrients they need to thrive. Part of making healthy choices is having healthy options and here are a few easy ones:

• Switch a one-ounce bag of potato chips for a medium-sized banana.
• Exchange French fries and ketchup with carrot sticks and low-fat dip.
• Offer dried fruits instead of chewy candies.
• Replace a can of soda with 100% fruit juice.

But just switching good for bad isn’t your only tool. There are plenty of easy recipes that they can get involved with – allowing them to take ownership of their choices and build that lifelong love for eating right.

• Fruit Punch - Add orange and strawberry slices to 100% pineapple juice.
• Ants On A Log - Spread almond butter on a celery stick and top with raisins.
• Trail Mix - Combine raisins, almonds and pretzels.
• Fruit Salad - Mix pineapple chunks, grapes and bananas with lemon juice.
• Dip Snacks - Enjoy a bowl of crudités with two to four tablespoons of hummus.