Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids, plus a Fantastic Giveaway!

As busy parents, we are sometimes faced with the challenge of having to come up with three healthy meals for our kids each day. But the good thing is that, there are many options available to provide them with healthy snacks so they can still get their daily nutrient requirements that may be missed with regular meals.

I'm sure you've all heard about the problems of poor snack habits. According to the American Association of Obesity, the percentage of clinically obese children and adolescents has more than doubled since 1980 and it is now estimated that one in five children in the US is overweight (The Obese Society, 2009). That said, it's important that we mind the kind of foods (or snacks) we give our children.

Santa Cruz Organic and R.W. Knudsen Family- leaders of providing nutritious lunches and snacks, offer parents the following practical choices for healthy, but still tasty, lunchbox treats:

*Santa Cruz Organic® Peanut Butters- made with USDA certified organic peanuts, these peanut butters come in two varieties: Light Roasted Crunchy or Dark Roasted Creamy. They were great in our sandwiches and for dipping fruits and vegetables at snack time. With no added sugar, hydrogenated oils, and 0 grams of trans fat, these peanut butters are indeed a healthy option to add to the lunch box. A worthy note: Santa Cruz Organic® Peanut Butters are guaranteed safe for consumption and were one of the few brands NOT recalled this winter.

*Santa Cruz Organic® Fruit Sauces- offering a variety of flavors such as apple blackberry, apple blueberry, apple cherry and apple strawberry, these fruit sauces will keep even the pickiest of eaters entertained. Made from organic fruit and providing 100 percent of the USDA recommended daily value of vitamin C, the 4-ounce serving cups make a perfect lunch addition or afternoon snack.

*R.W. Knudsen Family® Sensible Sippers- made with 50% organic and 50% water, these convenient fruit juice boxes provide a convenient way for us parents to lower the amount of sugar and calories our children consume. And since I always mix equal parts of water to 100% juice to reduce my kids' sugar intake, the Sensible Sippers come in handy for me too! I like the fact that each juice box contains 40% less calories than traditional juices boxes. And The Berenstain Bears design in these juice boxes are so cute, plus the size makes it easier for my tots' petite hands to handle. Flavors include apple, mixed berry, tropical and banana. The mixed berry flavor was an instant hit with my kids! My four year old now asks for 'mixed berry' instead of 'juice' all the time. :)

Many thanks to R.W. Knudsen and Santa Cruz Organic for giving me and my family the chance to try out their healthy and tasty new food products! :)

*Also good news, dear Hip Mama's Place readers! Santa Cruz Organic and R.W. Knudsen Family has generously offered to give away this fantastic prize pack full of the following goodies:

- (2) 16 oz Jars of Santa Cruz Peanut Butters- one each of the Creamy and Crunchy variety

- (4) packs of Santa Cruz Fruit Sauces in 4 different flavors (each pack contains six 4 oz plastic jar units)

- (2) packs of R.W. Knudsen Sensible Sippers (each pack contains eight 4 oz juice boxes) in two different flavors

One lucky HMP reader in the US or Canada will win the above prize pack!

*HOW TO WIN: As always, please follow the ONE (1) COMMENT ONLY PER ENTRANT RULE. Please read on for more details...

*CONTEST RULES: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE LEAVING YOUR COMMENT.

ONLY ONE (1) COMMENT PER ENTRANT, PER CONTEST IS ALLOWED. IN YOUR COMMENT, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AND ANY EXTRA ENTRY CREDITS YOU'VE DONE. If for some reason you left out a detail or details on your first comment, you can delete it by using the "trash can" icon beside your comment, then re-enter your new comment with the details you want included. This way, I am able to track the real number of entrants for each contest. I regret to inform you that if you enter multiple comments, those comments will be deleted and you will automatically be disqualified from the contest.

*To enter this contest, leave a comment on this post by Thursday, July 30th, 2009 at 12MN, EST. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT TO CONTACT YOU IN CASE YOU WIN. THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO U.S. and CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY. ONLY ONE (1) COMMENT PER ENTRANT IS PERMITTED. Non-bloggers are always welcome to enter. I will pick ONE (1) WINNER using Random.org. The winner will be notified via email and announced as a comment on this post.

Want to earn EXTRA CREDITS? Contest entrants will each win one(1) extra credit by doing the following:

1. Mention this contest in a post on your blog with a direct link to www.hipmamasplace.com

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Your comment is your one entry. If you do all six (6) extra entry credits above, you will have five(7) total entries. Remember- the more entries you have, the more chances of winning! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE THE EXTRA CREDIT/S YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR ONE COMMENT. Goodluck!

Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids, plus a Fantastic Giveaway!

http://www.hipmamasplace.com/2009/07/healthy-snack-ideas-for-kids-plus.html