Snacktime Solution - Big Y® World Class Market®

Check Out the Dairy Case

It’s that all-too-familiar call, the one you usually hear when it’s after lunch, but still too early for dinner – “Mom, I’m hungry.” Snacktime is an easy time to toss any pretense of “good-for-you” aside: Those tiny tummies and temperaments aren’t going to wait while you assemble a nutritionally flawless treat.

But serving up not-so-healthy snacks has a big downside, and too many junk food fixes can take their toll. With today’s overstuffed schedules, kids are snacking more than ever — one study estimates that the amount of calories kids get from snacks has increased 30 percent since the 1970s. Coincidentally or not, kids also have been getting steadily heavier over those years; around 15 percent of kids are overweight. Having healthy snacks on hand is the easiest way to make sure that when your kids are having a between-meal bite or two, it’s not just empty calories.

The good news is that there is an entire arsenal of healthy, tasty and (best of all) easy snack options right in the dairy aisle. Dairy snacks will provide your kids with energy and essential nutrients like calcium and protein — making them some of the smartest snacking choices you’ll find. Here are a few ideas for quick, simple snack options your kids will love:

Invest in a box of snack-size baggies. Fill each of them with a serving of cheese cubes and keep them in the fridge for easy on-the-go snacking.

Make your own frozen yogurt pops. Pour your favorite flavored lowfat yogurt and mixed berries into an ice cube tray or small paper cups, then insert wooden popsicle sticks (you can find these at craft stores) and freeze.

There are plenty of snack-ready packaged dairy items: string cheese, drinkable yogurt, pudding cups, single-serve bottles of chocolate milk.

Toss in some lowfat shredded cheddar cheese with your popcorn.

Try a quick banana-strawberry smoothie: Blend together strawberry milk, a fresh banana and strawberries for a sweet and delicious treat.

Have some wooden skewers on hand for grilling kabobs? Use them to spear apple slices and cheese cubes.

How about a frozen mudslide? It’s simple: Take coffee-flavored yogurt, stir in a bit of chocolate syrup and freeze.

Take a whole wheat tortilla, add a slice of Monterey Jack cheese, roll it all up, toss in the microwave for about 10 seconds and dip in salsa.

So the next time you’re in search of snacks, steer your cart down the dairy aisle. You’ll be able to fill your fridge with plenty of delicious, healthy items you’ll feel good about giving to your family