NOW that the majority of school children are at home and on their summer holidays, the emphasis on healthy eating becomes very much the mainstay of us parents.

While all through the year, we will prepare evening meals to provide fuel for our body’s, but more so now, the fact that children will spend more time under the watchful eye of their parents, snacks and snacking will require a bit more effort. Below you’ll find some ideas for healthy snacks to keep the little ones, and not so little, ticking over until dinner time.

We will try and avoid the chocolate, crisps and junk to fill those gaps.

Why not try:

* Toasted cinnamon bagels topped with peanut butter and mashed banana

* Chocolate and apple sandwiches. Toast 2 slices of white bread. Thinly spread each slice with chocolate and hazelnut spread, add a thinly sliced green apple and make into a sandwich  

* Pizza crumpets. Lightly toast a crumpet.  Spread 2 tbsp of tomato salsa over the crumpet, top with a handful of grated Cheddar or a cheese slice.  Toast under the grill until the cheese melts

* Yoghurt or fromage frais

   with fruit

* Smoothies

* Breakfast cereals with milk

* Pop corn   

* Teacakes or scones

* Fruit or malt loaf

* Celery sticks filled with

   cream cheese or peanut butter

* Bread sticks with hummus,   

   tzatiki or salsa

* Mini wholemeal pitta with

   hummus and grated carrot