Healthy Snack Idea the Kids and Family Will Love

Everyone’s gotta love a sweet afternoon time with the family. But what do you pair with a quality time of chit-chat?

An immediate merienda idea would be a box of donuts or ordered pizza paired with milk tea or coffee frappe — which are delicious and all, but unhealthy for regular consumption. This isn’t the type of food you’d want your family to get used to, especially if you want to keep their health thriving.

Here’s how you can enjoy a good family time without relying on heavily flavored snacks and sweet drinks!

Corned Beef Pandesal

Corned beef pandesal is your favorite Filipino breakfast leveled up. Soft and fluffy Pinoy pandesal stuffed with flavorful corned beef perfectly complements each other for that rich mouthfeel of combined pastry and savory viand.

This magnificent combo, although already popular, was made even more convenient as a ready-to-buy food by Donut Shack.

Pandesal Nutrition Facts

According to Nutritionix, 1 pandesal bun (approximately 58g) has 23g (57%) of total carbohydrates, 6g (15%) of protein, 5g (28%) of total fat, and 160 calories.

Considering this, pandesal is indeed a source of energy-providing carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. It's also low in fat. However, keep in mind that pandesal is still white bread, which means that in terms of dieting, it may only be a good choice when not focusing on carb restriction.

Corned Beef Nutrition Facts

According to the same source as previously mentioned, 3oz or 85g of corned beef has 16g of total fat and 15g of protein. It’s a great source of vitamin B12 and iron which simultaneously help make healthy red blood cells.

It’s also high in selenium, which is essential for creating your thyroid hormones and making DNA. It also functions as an antioxidant to protect it from damage. Not only is it tasty, but is beneficial in its own way too.

Classic Chicken Salad Empanada

Even though corned beef has its fair share of health benefits, the fact that it is still processed red meat shouldn’t exactly be overlooked. If that isn’t something you want to feed your kids, that’s understandable.

Chicken Salad Empanada is another great healthy snack that doesn’t use processed or red meat. This one by Dingras Empanada features diced chicken breast tossed in mayo-based dressing with raisins and vegetables.

Most ingredients are already healthy at their core; chicken breast is a source of protein, raisins are a source of fiber and antioxidants, and vegetables have a whole bunch of various benefits — only the mayo-based dressing could be considered partly unhealthy. But thanks to it, the kids will love the overall taste of the chicken salad empanada due to its rich flavor.

Natural Calamansi Juice Drink

Aside from being a popular choice of drink among kids, natural calamansi juice drinks are best paired with fluffy, savory snacks due to their sharp, zesty flavor. This contrast makes them perfectly complement each other. 

Not only is calamansi juice tasty, accessible, affordable, and easy to prepare, but they are quite healthy too. They are rich in vitamin C, which boosts the immune system, improves skin health, and aids in iron absorption. Additionally, it has antioxidant properties that can help reduce inflammation and protect against chronic diseases. 

This is a good drink to swap to your children’s sweet drinks and help prevent childhood obesity and other diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Proving that calamansi juice is indeed for everyone, it is not only allowed but highly recommended for pregnant women, as it helps the immune system fight off infections and supports the development of their baby and their bones. 

For more information on its health benefits, read: Calamansi Juice Benefits

Where can I buy Calamansi Juice?

Looking for calamansi juice for purchase can often be a hit or miss. Due to popularity, they may be pretty easy to spot, but then again, because they are easy to prepare at home, some stores may not feel the need to sell them. 

The thing with store-bought drinks is that they often come packed with tons of sugars and preservatives, so even if a drink is healthy in essence, seeing them on grocery store shelves automatically makes them suspicious of its benefits. 

Try OYE’s natural calamansi juice for one that’s guaranteed healthy, fresh, and good for the family and kids!