Many parents struggle with feeding a picky eater, especially with ensuring they get the right diet to aid their growth and development. The problem is that healthy foods are often unappealing to kids either from appearance or taste. Luckily there are things you can do! Following is a list of fun snack ideas kids are sure to love that will guide them into a healthier diet. Feel free to use this list as inspiration for your own fun snack creations:

1. Fruit
Fruits are high in fiber while being sweet and filling, so kids will tend to like them. This will help you give them a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals which are essential to their growth and development.

2. Veggie chips
This one you may have to be sneaky with; sometimes if a child finds it out it’s really a veggie, the jig is up! But if you tell them they are yummy type of chip and serve them with a dip you know your child enjoys, they are sure to love it (and increase their vegetable intake)!

3. Trail mix
Make sure there aren’t any added sugars or oils to the dried nuts and fruit so they aren’t overloaded with either and unhealthy. This is one snack your kids could even help you prepare, since it’s so easy. They can have loads of fun preparing the ingredients and mixing them together. The best part is that nuts are high protein snacks with healthy fats, so they’re super good for you! One option is to add chocolate chips among the nuts, granola clusters, and fruit to ensure your kids enjoy them.

4. Smoothies
Smoothies can be a great way to round out your child’s diet. Along with the expected fruits, yogurt/milk, and juice, you can experiment with throwing in some healthy veggies so they hide inside the yummy, fruity goodness. Just blend the smoothie until it is completely smooth; picky eaters hate chunks! Be sure not to go overboard though; keep vegetable additions to a maximum vegetable content of 1:1 veggies to fruits. If you add in hemp seeds or chia seeds or similar, keep it to 1 tablespoon or less per cup of veggie/fruit mix. You could even freeze the smoothie mix in a popsicle mold for a fun summer twist.

5. Ants on a log
Tried and true, this is an old school favorite, so it can probably work for you too. Fill a celery stalk with your child’s favorite dip or spread (peanut butter, cream cheese, hummus, etc.) and add on dried fruit or another healthy addition. I’ve seen parents use coconut flakes, nuts, peas, blueberries, small pretzels; the possibilities are limitless so you can definitely work your child’s favorite snack into a healthier option.