The summer has flown by and now that the kiddos are back in school, you’ll finally have some quiet time to yourself. But you know the second they come running off the bus after school, they are going to toss their backpacks on the foyer floor, flip their shoes off and go running to the kitchen for their after school snack. Making sure they eat healthy is important so here are a few healthy yet fun snacks for you to make for your kids that they are sure to love.
Fruit and cheese kabobs – if it sounds fun, chances are it’ll be fun to eat! Take skinny pretzel rods and slide grapes, small apple chunks, strawberries and blueberries onto them. In between the fruit, place small cubes of cheese on the pretzel as well. The best part about this snack is that you can make it into a fun project for your kids to do themselves. They can choose what fruit and what kind of cheese they want. Not only are they healthy, it is fun to make and eat at the same time!
Yogurt pops are another great snack to make. The prep time might be a little longer and might have to be done a few hours in advance. Pick your kids favorite yogurt flavor – the yogurt with the fruit chunks in it will probably work best. Pour some of the yogurt into an ice cube tray and stick a small pretzel rod in the middle of it. Place the ice cube tray in the freezer for a few hours. When everyone is ready for their afternoon snack, pull out a small Yogurt Popsicle for them to munch on. Plus you can eat the pretzel handle!
You can’t go wrong with an old fashioned Smoothie. Have your kids pick out their favorite fruit and throw it in the blender with some ice. Once you pour it into a glass, you can even add some of the fruit to the concoction for some chunky deliciousness! You can mix strawberries and bananas, or put some peaches and pears together. Any fruit you want can be made into a creamy and taste bud satisfying treat for you and your kids.
Making your own fruit and nut mix can be cost effective and healthy at the same time. Mix some plain popcorn with peanuts, pretzels and raisins. You can even get an array of items and let each one of your children mix what they want in a small bowl. Blueberries, banana chips, cheerios, walnuts, raspberries, strawberries and cherries are all great items to mix and match together for a tasty snack.
Being creative in the kitchen with healthy and delicious food can be a challenge. Introducing your kids to the healthy choices of fruits and vegetables will benefit them in the long run. They will enjoy their snacks and also be keeping themselves healthy without really even knowing it. That’s a win-win combination!