Keeping children’s snacking healthy can be quite a challenge. A charcuterie board style veggie platter is a lovely tactic to encourage them to try out new things. Add a great fresh dip and it might even conjure up some enthusiasm!

Kids are always hungry. At any age and at any time of the day. It is quite impressive actually how they manage the speech “Mom! I’m soooo hungry! Can I have something to eat?” with a straight face, about 15 minutes after finishing lunch.

We often put together a snack board for the waiting-for-dinner-to-get-ready hour. It is not really a charcuterie board because there are really just vegetables present. A veggierie board perhaps? Let’s invent a word for fancy vegetable munching!

Anyhow, here are a few tips to encourage your kids to trying out (and eventually make them appreciate) healthy snack options.

Tip Number 1 – Make it fancy

Why not transform snack-time into aperitif time. Aperitif is a fancy moment that is usually reserved for the grownups and getting to be part of it is fun and makes the kids feel important and a bit like in a make-believe game. Playing is always a good tactic to forming kids healthy eating habits!

Tip Number 2 – Be an Example

It is of course important to set an example ourselves. If we never touch any vegetables, it will be complicated to convince others that it’s good for them. On the contrary, if the parents obviously enjoy healthy food, the children take seamlessly on the same healthy eating habits. For example if the kids see us enjoy carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes or radishes as appetizers, they will quite willingly try some themselves.

Tip Number 3 – Add a Dip

THE secret to getting kids (and adults) to eat more vegetables at the snack table: a delicious dip! I’ll give you our favorite tuna dip recipe below, but really anything that you can dip veggies in, works: sour cream mixed with tomato sauce or creme fraîche and herbs, for inspiration look at what you already have in the fridge or pantry.

As promised, here’s an easy recipe for a simple dip sauce to accompany your snack board.

Easy Tuna Dip Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (115g/4oz) can of flaky tuna in water
• 125g (about 4oz) cream cheese (Philadelphia in here but any plain cream cheese is ok)
• 1-2 tbsps of sour cream or crème fraîche
• Fresh herbs of your choice (dill, spring onion, parsley, oregano, tarragon…)
• Juice of 1/4 of a lemon
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

Drain the tuna.

In a bowl mix well tuna, cream cheese and sour cream or crème fraîche.

Add the herbs and salt.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Serve alongside a healthy snack board.

Ideas for your snack board:

• Crackers
• Grissini sticks
• Fresh vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, celery sticks, fennel slices, endive leaves all would suit marvelously with the tuna dip)
• Cherry tomatoes
• Olives
• Nuts
• Cheese cubes

If you have any questions or just wish to keep in touch, feel free to contact me on Instagram or drop a comment here on the blog.

In case you’d like some more snacking inspiration go check out my list of 30 Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids so that you never run out of healthy snacks to serve!