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Spatula Diaries: Easy, healthy snacks for kids

Baked Zucchini Sticks. Photo by Maggie Heyn Richardson

After-school bites, road-tested by Pennington 

Recently, my friend Katy asked if I had any suggestions for healthy snacks for young people. Her high school-aged daughter is a dancer, and finding lunchbox and afternoon snacks that offered nutritional value and not just empty calories was a challenge. I’ve got two swimmers and a runner in my household, and I’ve been asking myself the same question. Truly nutritious snacks take more thought than that oversized box of SunChips from Costco, and it’s not easy when you’re operating at break-neck, back-to-school speed.

For advice, I contacted the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, an international leader in nutritional research and a sometimes overlooked local resource for recipes and tips. PBRC staff members Alisha Prather and Stephanie Malin fired back a list.

Kid-tested snacks that don’t require a ton of ingredients:

  • Fruit kabobs
  • English muffin half with pizza sauce and cheese, toasted
  • Yogurt parfaits layered with granola and fruit
  • Trail mix, homemade or store-bought with the addition of pretzels, popcorn, nuts or dried fruit
  • Veggies and dip beyond Ranch dressing. Think low-fat spinach dip or peanut sauce, which goes really well with steamed green beans served cold.
  • Cheese and whole grain crackers

I’m also a big fan of snacks that are heavy on protein, since they stick with kids longer. Turkey jerky is a good option. And with so many great cured meats out there, making your own charcuterie plate or simple meat and cheese roll-ups is an appealing option, too. Yes, these items have a good amount of sodium, but it doesn’t take much of them to help a kid feel full and satisfied, and it’s better than a bag of chips.

Malin also forwarded links to recipes from Pennington’s Metabolic Kitchen, a great site to mine for snack ideas. Here’s one I liked and modified just slightly.


Baked Zucchini Sticks

Prepare the battered veggies in advance and bake them when you’re ready.

Servings: Makes 16 sticks

2 small-to-medium zucchini squash
2 eggs
2 cups Japanese breadcrumbs (Panko)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray. Trim the ends of the zucchinis and slice each in half across the middle. Slice each half into quarters lengthwise. Crack eggs into a small bowl and whisk. Pour ½ cup breadcrumbs onto a pie plate and add salt and pepper to taste. Dip each stick in egg, then roll in Panko. Use ½ cup breadcrumbs at a time, replacing with a fresh batch when wet clumps appear. Place battered strips on baking sheet. Cook for 12 minutes, and turn to ensure even browning. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve immediately with homemade or store-bought marinara.


Maggie Heyn Richardson is a regular 225 contributor and the author of the new book, Hungry for Louisiana, An Omnivore’s Journey. Reach her through her website, hungryforlouisiana.com