Healthy Snacks for Kids

Before Bed

Foods that contain tryptophan, like dairy and hummus, help produce serotonin, a calming hormone that can make your kiddo drowsy. For more impact, pair these snacks with sleep-promoting complex carbs, found in whole-grain cereals and breads, says clinical registered dietitian Roberta Anding. Keep portions small: The goal is to tide kids over, not charge them up.

• ½ cup skim milk and 1 small oatmeal cookie
• ½ cup whole-grain cornflakes or crisped-rice cereal with ½ cup low-fat milk
• ½ whole-grain pita with up to ¼ cup hummus
• ½ cup cottage cheese with 3 dried apricots
• ½ whole-grain English muffin with 1 ounce melted mozzarella or Swiss cheese

The Experts

• Roberta Anding, clinical registered dietitian and director of sports nutrition, adolescent medicine, and sports medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston
• Tara Harwood, pediatric registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital, Cleveland
• Amy Jamieson-Petonic, registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland
• David McCormick, clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston
• Jennifer Shu, pediatrician in Atlanta and coauthor of Food Fights ($15, amazon.com)