4 fun and healthy homemade snacks your kids will love

If you're having trouble preparing snacks your kids will eat, then these tasty and easy-to-make treats are not only sure to be a hit with your child, but they're also packed with nutrients to help keep them going all the way until suppertime.

Flour tortillas make fun sandwich alternatives that you can fill with salad ingredients.

What you'll need

• Shredded lettuce
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Chopped tomato
• Flour tortilla
• Your child's favourite dressing (optional)

What to do

1. Lay a flour tortilla on top of a large piece of aluminium foil.
2. Place a line of shredded lettuce down the centre of the tortilla.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top of the lettuce.
4. Drop a few pieces of the chopped tomato on top of the cheese.
5. Roll the tortilla up like a burrito and wrap the foil tightly around it.

As your children eat, they can keep the tortilla salad inside the foil so nothing falls out. If you don't want to add dressing, that's fine because the chopped tomato adds moisture as well as vitamins.

Most kids love eating hot dogs because it's such a fun treat. However, the meat in hot dogs leaves much to be desired in terms of nutrition. You can give your kids a healthier "hot dog" with this delicious option they'll adore.

What you'll need

• Romaine lettuce
• Leftover homemade chili
• Shredded cheese

What to do

1. Place a hot dog bun inside a plastic lunch container that has a lid.
2. Lay a piece of romaine lettuce inside the roll. The lettuce will keep the moist ingredients from making the bread soggy.
3. Place a few tablespoons of cold chili on top of the lettuce.
4. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of the chili.
5. Place the lid on tightly and store until lunch time.

The protein in the chilli, whether from meat or beans, will help stave off hunger pangs longer than carbohydrates (such as those in bread or pasta) can.

This is a fun and nutritious treat that brightens up any lunch box. Moreover, because you use fresh fruit, it's also packed with the many vitamins kids need to grow up big and strong.

What you'll need

• Strawberries
• Cantaloupe
• Watermelon
• Bananas
• Raspberries
• Plastic drinking straws (not the bendable kind)

What to do

1. Use the plastic straw to skewer a variety of fruit which has been chopped into bite-size pieces. (If you have trouble getting the straw through the fruit, prime the hole with a wooden skewer like the kind used for grilling vegetables.)
2. Pack the fruit skewers inside a cardboard tube. An empty paper towel roll works well. Use colourful cartoon stickers to decorate the outside of the cardboard tube. You could even write your child's name using bright, non-toxic pencils or markers.
3. When your child is ready to eat, he or she can simply pull the straw skewer out of the tube and munch on the fruit.

Who says muffins have to be sugar-filled junk food? With this simple recipe, you can make your own healthy snacks in no time whatsoever.

What you'll need

• Your favourite recipe for carrot cake or zucchini muffins

What to do

1. Instead of a cake tin, fill muffin tins with batter prepared using your favourite recipe – see above.
2. After baking and cooling, spread a thin layer of cream cheese on top of muffins for frosting.
3. Pack the baked muffins inside a plastic sippy cup with the lid tightly secured. A re-sealable plastic container also works well. (You may have to provide your child with a spoon to scoop out this delicious treat from the container.)

Although junk food may seem like an easy fix for hungry tummies, the extra sugar and empty calories are bad for anyone – especially growing children. With these four tasty snack ideas, not only will your child have the energy to keep going all day long, you'll have peace of mind knowing your child is eating healthy.