Over the weekend I had the privilege of sharing with a beautiful group of girl scouts the importance of healthy snacks and give them some great health snack ideas.

My amazing friend, Maggie (of Maggie Fortson Photography) joined me, along with my preschool daughter. Maggie has an art of capturing the beauty of each person and you will savor the sweet moments she captured. And my daughter adored being a part of the day with the older girls. She is all ready to be a Girl Scout herself in a few years.

Thank you, Girl Scouts, for letting me come and share with you!

Below is what I shared with the girls, and I hope it is helpful to you as you look for healthy snack ideas!

Why Is a Healthy Snack Important?

Food gives us nutrients our bodies need to grow and energy we need to play! For active girls, snacks can be an important source of nutrients and energy. Do you know eating the right foods can also help you focus better in school?

Since what we eat matters so much, it’s important to pick snacks that will help us as we grow, play and learn! So how do we pick a healthy snack? Look for two key factors: protein and veggies (or fruit).

Many people often get protein from meat, but there are lots of great sources of protein. Our bodies need protein to build our muscles, for energy, and for focus. Even a lot of grown up women don’t get enough protein and it affects their energy and focus. Starting good snack habits now will help you make good snacks choices as grown-ups too!

Vegetables are so important! Vegetables are the best source of nutrients for our bodies. They provide all kinds of vitamins to help us grow and stay healthy. Fruits are great and much better than other snacks, but vegetables are the best.

So what are some ideas for snacks?

To make with your mom:
Peanut Butter Bites
(which we made together at the event)

Big Dippers:
Carrots dipped in Sunflower Butter
Celery in Peanut Butter
Apples in Almond Butter
Add raisins to any of these to add a yummy addition!
Mix and match for variety!
Broccoli, carrots, celery, zucchini or cucumber dipped in hummus or salad dressing
There are so many yummy flavors of hummus to try!

Make your own trail mix with any of these items:
Protein: Cashews, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts
Dried Fruit: Raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, banana chips
Misc: Coconut flakes, dark chocolate bits

Dairy-based protein snacks:
String Cheese and Grapes
Cottage cheese with peaches

(Do you know that too much dairy can lead to congestion, mucus, and ear and sinus infections? Be careful not to do too many dairy-based snacks and avoid them when you have a cold)

The sweet Girl Scout found this helpful and I hope that you do too!