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The early years are important for teaching good eating habits to your children. Exposing children to a variety of foods at an early age helps them to accept more food choices. Snack time can be beneficial to a child's overall diet. The trick is to selet healthful snacks that will meet their daily dietary needs.

A great snack is fresh fruit. It can satisfy a sweet tooth craving while at the same time provide essential nutrients and vitamins growing children need. Mangoes, bananas, and strawberries, are healthy sweets that provide natural carbohydrate energy in a vitamin-packed and fiber-rich package.

One of the best ways to get your children to try new foods is by allowing them be the chef. This gives them the chance to help prepare the food they will eat. This will not only bring your family closer, but it will give your child the opportunity to be a part of the meal. Let them measure out the corn or dish up the salad or in this case help make a fun healthy snack. Persistency pays off. Good eating habits are formed over time, not in one day. Continue to offer healthy food choices, your children will respond.

Snacks like our 'Fruitie Tootie Fun on a Stick' will go a long way to nurturing a youngster's taste for fresh fruit. Lead by example. When your children see you eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, they too will want to try them.

Have fun with these tasty, nutritious recipes that you and your children can make together! We've made it easy to track your child's daily servings of fruit, dairy, grains, and water for these delicious recipes by including the food exchange for each recipe.

Fruitie Tootie Fun on a Stick

Ingredients:

1 apple
1 banana
1 mango
5 strawberries
5 kiwi fruit
4 popsicle sticks

Help your child cut the fruit into bite size pieces. Then alternating the fruit, thread the fruit onto the popsicle sticks and serve with our Honey Me Yummie Yogurt Dip.

Try rolling your Fruitie Tootie Fun on a Stick in shredded coconut or granola to add some extra flavor and crunch.

Servings: 4

Food exchange:
Fruits: 1 serving

Honey Me Yummie Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp. 100% orange juice
2 tsp. honey
Ground cinnamon to taste

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. Now, start dipping your Fruitie Tootie Fun on a Stick snacks for a complete healthy snack!

Servings: 4

Food exchange:
Dairy: ' serving

Yo Yummie Parfait
Ingredients:

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
' cup granola
8 blueberries
8 raspberries

Instructions:

In a large glass, layer ' cup yogurt, ' cup granola and 4 blueberries. Repeat.

Servings: 1

Food exchange:

Fruits: 2 servings
Dairy: 1 serving
Grains: ' serving

Watermelon Whirley
Ingredients:

1 ' cups ice
1 cup cubed watermelon
1 cup lemonade

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients into a blender until smooth.

Servings: 2

Food exchange:

Fruits: ' serving
Water: 1 serving

Good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are essential for families. Families who are eating properly, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping up their activity level will have less illness, and benefit from an improved quality of life.