Cool Cucumber Bites

These cool and crunchy snacks are perfect for this hot summer weather! Presenting vegetables in a creative way will make healthy eating more fun for your kids.

What you will need:

• English cucumbers (peeled)
• Dip ingredients: 1 container of nonfat sour cream, ~60g of dried vegetable soup mix, 1 tbsp of chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp of light mayo, salt and pepper to taste 

Note: this is enough dip for two cucumbers so you can make half the recipe if you only use one cucumber or save the rest of the dip for the next day!

Start by peeling the cucumbers and cutting them into ~1.5cm slices. Next, use a metal teaspoon to hollow out the centre of each cucumber slice but make sure you leave some space at the bottom so that the dip doesn't fall through. Once you have combined all the dip ingredients together in a medium sized bowl, you can start to dish out a teaspoon or so of dip into each slice of cucumber. Serve and enjoy this snack cold :)

Tip: When I made this snack for my friends I dressed the cucumbers up a bit by topping them off with fresh dill. 

M is for...Melon Pops!

With summer just around the corner, the warm weather and sunshine will have your kids running around outside and enjoying the heat. It's important to keep your children hydrated by providing them with plenty of water. A fun way to keep your kids cool while the sun is shining is to make them these delicious melon popsicles! This tasty and sweet recipe is nutritious and filled with water that will also help your kids stay hydrated.

What you will need:

• 1 1/2 cups cantaloupe chunks
• 1 tablespoon of 100% orange juice 
• 1 1/2 cups honeydew chunks
• 1 tablespoon of lemon or limeade 

To make the melon pops in layers, you need to make the cantaloupe and honeydew mixtures separately. First, puree the cantaloupe chunks with the orange juice in a blender. You can divide this blended mixture evenly into mini paper cups with popsicle sticks or into popsicle molds. Next, place the cups in the freezer   for about an hour or until they become firm. You can then puree the honeydew chunks and lemon or limeade and add this mixture to each of the frozen cantaloupe mixtures. This will now create two separate layers of fruits and colours! 

Nutrition facts on the snack:

These little melon pops are filled with nutrients like vitamin C and vitamin B. They are also low in energy so your kids will still be hungry for meals if you serve them as snacks during the day! Since melons are packed with water, you can be sure that these pops will help to quench thirst. 

Tip: You can use other combinations of fruits and juices to make even more colourful layers!

Recipe and photo from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/mint-melon-pops-10000001073881/

Go Bananas!

This treat is so simple you can prepare it in less than five minutes! All you need is a very ripe banana and some peanut (or other nut) butter. Start by slicing the banana length-wise without cutting it in half. Next, add a generous tablespoon of nut butter of your choice into the centre of the banana where you sliced it. Now, wrap the banana in plastic wrap tightly and place it in the freezer. After several hours in the freezer, this delicious snack is ready to be served.

The great thing about this snack recipe is that it is quick, easy and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Bananas are a wonderful source of potassium. Potassium helps the heart, kidneys, nervous system, and muscles to do their jobs. Eating foods that are packed with potassium can even help lower blood pressure. You can find potassium in many other fruits and vegetables like cantaloupe, kiwis, oranges and avocados.

Tip: If you're in a hurry, you can serve this snack without freezing it!

Photo credit: http://ohsheglows.com/2010/06/26/simple-tricks-to-inspire-a-workout/

Ants on a Log

Since it's been a while since I posted any snack recipes, I thought it was time to post a new one! One of my favourite snack foods as a child was the famous "Ants on a Log"...a celery log smothered in peanut butter and topped with raisin ants.

All you need for this VERY simple recipe is:

• Celery
• Peanut, almond, or sunflower seed butter
• Raisins or Craisins®

Start off by loading the centre of the celery pieces with the butter of your choice. If you want to pack these as a school snack, sunflower butter is a great choice since it is peanut-free. Next, add the "ants" to the celery log by sprinkling raisins or Craisins® (or both!) on top.

Now it's crunch time!

Tip: Serve Ants on a Log with slices of apple, the pair make a great combo :)

Nutrition Facts on the Snack:

The protein found in peanut, almond and sunflower seed butters will keep your child satisfied until their next meal. You can also count on this snack to be low in calories and packed with nutrients. Celery is full of fibre, vitamins and minerals, which help to keep your kids healthy. 

Jenna

Banana Splits

These banana splits are so delicious your kids will mistake them for desserts!

 What you’ll need:

• bananas (1 or 2 per snack)
• plain yogurt
• peanut butter (optional)
• chopped walnuts
• coconut 
• granola
• sliced strawberries or other fruits

First, slice the bananas in half (length-wise) and place them on a plate or in a bowl. Next, add a few generous tablespoons of plain yogurt to the top of the bananas. Now you can let your kids add chopped walnuts, granola, coconut, peanut butter, and/or sliced fruit to the mix.

Nutrition facts on the snack:

You don’t have to tell your kids how healthy these banana splits really are! These make for great treats that don’t have half as much sugar and fat as store-bought banana splits made with ice cream.

Bananas are loaded with a mineral called potassium. Potassium is important for proper growth in children. It can also lower the risk of high blood pressure that can lead to many health problems.

Peanut butter is found in the “Meat and Alternatives” food group on Canada’s Food Guide. It is packed with protein, iron, healthy fats and fibre. These are all important for proper child growth and development. Protein will also keep your kids full, which helps tie them over until their next meal.

Fun fact: This snack includes three out of the four food groups from Canada’s Food Guide. Who would have thought a banana split could be this healthy?

Tip: Turn this banana split into a frozen treat by placing the finished snack into the freezer for an hour or so before serving!

Recipe adapted from: http://blog.superhealthykids.com/2010/12/kids-favorite-healthy-banana-split/

Photo credit: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lltjpp1Rtv1qf4zb3o1_500.jpg

Apple Smiles!

You can cater to your child’s sweet tooth with this snack that won’t scare the dentist!

What you will need:

• apples of any kind
• slivered almonds

These apple snacks are delicious and fun to make. Start by coring and quartering the apple (cutting it into four pieces). Next, cut a wedge from the skin side of each quarter. Now invite your kids to place the slivered almonds into the wedges – these are the teeth!

Your kids can arrange the almond teeth any way they want. Once there is a whole set of almond teeth it’s crunch time!

Nutrition facts on the snack:

I’m sure you have heard the old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Although apples alone may not keep the doctor away, they are still very nutritious and great to include in your child’s diet. Serving a variety of healthy foods, like apples, and getting your kids active are great ways to keep them healthy.

Fibre and many vitamins like vitamin C are found in apples. As you know from earlier posts, these are excellent nutrients to include in your child’s diet each day. Kids need enough nutrients from foods to give them energy.

Almonds are great sources of protein and healthy fats. You might be wondering why I used the words “healthy” and “fat” in the same sentence. This is because not all fat is bad for you! In fact, the body needs fat to work properly. It is best to serve your child foods with healthy fats, instead of unhealthier fats like trans fat and saturated fats.

Some examples of foods with healthy fats are:

·      avocados

·      nuts

·      peanut butter

·      olive, canola, sunflower, peanut and sesame oils

·      tofu

·      soy milk

Some examples of foods with unhealthy fats are:

·      chocolate bars

·      packaged cookies, donuts, pastries

·      French fries

·      gravy

·      ice cream

If you would like to learn more about “healthy” vs. “unhealthy” fats, check out the Heart & Stroke Foundation website at: http://www.heartandstroke.ca/

Tip: If you don't use the cut-up apple wedges right away, add some lemon juice or orange juice to them to stop them from turning brown!

Recipe adapted from: http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/apple-bites-688193/

Photo credit: http://blog.mindbites.com/wp-content/uploads/0807_applebites.jpg

Tasty Trail Mix

Trail mix is a quick and healthy snack that is perfect for when your family is on-the-go. The great thing about trail mix is that you can make it with any of your favourite cereals, nuts, seeds and dried fruits.

Some suggestions for what to include are:

• Almonds
• Peanuts
• Cashews
• Popcorn
• Pumpkin seeds
• Dried cranberries, apricots, pineapple, apple
• Raisins
• Cereal (Cheerios™, Crispix™, Shreddies™)
•  Goldfish™ crackers

Once you have picked your favourite ingredients, mix them together in a bowl or shake them up in a large freezer bag. It’s up to you about how much of each ingredient to add to the mix – add more of the ones your kids like the most. Give your child a task to add, mix or shake the ingredients, they will feel proud once they see the end product that they helped make!

To make the trail mix more fun and enjoyable, serve it in a regular or waffle ice-cream cone! Add mini marshmallows to sweeten up the snack to serve as a dessert.

Nutrition Facts on the Snack:

Trail mix is loaded with protein and energy that will energize your little ones. You can also find fibre in this snack, which keeps your kids healthy and lowers the risk of disease in the future.

You can look for unsalted peanut and nut options in stores to help lower the amount of sodium in the snack. Although sodium is common in many packaged foods, you can look for reduced sodium options. Sodium is something that you want less of when buying foods for the family because it can lead to health problems like high blood pressure.

Does your child have a peanut allergy? Have no fear! Peanut-free trail mix can taste just as great. You can even include yogurt-covered raisins in place of peanuts.

Tip: Shop for the ingredients at your local bulk-food store – you will find great deals!

Photo credit: http://imagesw.frugalvillage.com/conesnack2.jpg.

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for…Yogurt-Pops?

These tasty frozen treats will become a favourite in your house!

What you will need:

• Yogurt (ex. plain, fruit-filled or vanilla…your choice) 
• Mixed diced fruit of any kind (ex. blueberries, banana, cherries, strawberries)
• Popsicle sticks
• Small paper cups (ex. Dixie® cups) or popsicle mold/tray
• Large metal spoon

Gather enough yogurt and fruit to fill the popsicle mold or paper cups. Add the yogurt and fruit into a medium sized bowl. Let your kids do the mixing! Once the ingredients are mixed, it’s time to pour the mixture into the popsicle mold or cups.

If you are using paper cups, place a popsicle stick in the middle of each cup. If you are using a popsicle mold, they will probably come with plastic sticks to place in the middle of each yogurt-pop.

Now it’s time to wait…overnight. Place the mold or cups in the freezer overnight to let them freeze. Your kids will be hurrying to the fridge in the morning to check on their finished frozen snacks!

Once frozen, these snacks are perfect to serve when you’re in a hurry because usually a popsicle mold makes at least four yogurt pops at a time.

Nutrition Facts on the Snack:

Yogurt-pops are a nice alternative to serving ice cream sundaes or popsicles because they are lower in unnecessary added sugar and fat. You might be thinking that fruits contain sugar and yogurt can contain fat and you’re absolutely right! The difference is that the fat and sugar found in yogurt-pops are natural and not added, making them a bit healthier. Making your own yogurt-pops is also much cheaper than buying store-bought frozen treats.

Another great benefit of yogurt-pops is that they are loaded with calcium. We know how important calcium is in skeletal and bone health so these yogurt pops are definitely a great addition to your child’s diet.  

And last but not least, we can’t forget about the blend of vitamins that are packed into this little snack.

Tip: Add granola to the tops of the yogurt pops before they go into the freezer to turn them into upside-down frozen yogurt parfaits! Or, add different flavours of yogurt in layers to create fun patterns!

Recipe adapted from: http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/healthy-eating/the-20-best-snacks-for-kids/?page=6
Photo #1 credit: http://www.missteenwellingtoncounty.com
Photo #2 credit: http://2modern.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/pops_1.jpg

Snackwiches

Get ready to stack with this healthy snack!

This protein-packed snack is made with some very common household ingredients. There is plenty of room for creativity, but here are some suggestions for what to include:

·      sliced cheese

·      deli meats (like oven roasted turkey or low-sodium ham)

·      sliced cucumber

·      sliced tomato

·      crackers (like Ritz® or Wheat Thins®)

Once you have picked out your stackable ingredients, show your kids how to layer each food on top of a cracker. After they have arranged the layers the way they want, they can top it off with another cracker. Now it’s crunch time!

Nutritious Facts on the Snack:

Snackwiches provide your kids with many important nutrients. You can feel good knowing that these healthy snacks include foods from all four food groups of Canada’s Food Guide. You can find more info on Canada’s Food Guide by visiting http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index-eng.php.

This snack is great after school or between meals because it has protein in it. Where is this protein? It’s found in the cheese and meat. You can be sure that protein will keep your kids full until their next meal.

Calcium is another important nutrient found in the cheese in this snack. Your kids need calcium to build strong and healthy bones! Other great sources of calcium are milk, yogurt and milk substitutes like soy milk.

Fun Tip! You can turn the food layers into fun shapes by using small cookie cutters!

Photo credit: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2010/03/how-to-solar-system-birthday.html

Recipe adapted from Kraft snacks at: http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/kid-friendly/healthysnackideas.aspx

Fantastic Fruit Kabobs

It’s time to add some colour to your child’s day with these juicy fruit kabobs! Your kids will love creating their own fun arrangements and patterns using their favourite fruits.

What you will need:

• Variety of fresh fruits (read below for some examples)
• Wooden skewer sticks

The great thing about this healthy snack is that you can use just about any fruit you have lying around, even thawed out frozen fruits. Some tasty examples include strawberries, grapes, pineapple, apple, pear, watermelon, cantaloupe, oranges, kiwi, honeydew melon and banana to name a few! You can save money by buying fruit in season.

Start by cutting up fruit into cubes or slices and placing them into bowls. Provide your child with a wooden skewer stick and let them create their own fruity kabob. Show them how to make fun patterns using different coloured fruits.

Nutrition facts on the snack:

These vitamin-packed kabobs are loaded with antioxidants that will help keep your kids healthy. You can find antioxidants in many vegetables and fruits. They are important to include in your child’s diet to help prevent sickness (1). Fruits also contain fibre that helps with your child’s digestion. 

Tip: Turn the fruit into fun shapes by using cookie cutters! Who knew pineapples could make such beautiful flowers?

1. Dietitians of Canada: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Antioxidants.aspx

Recipe adapted from: http://www.huggies.com.au/toddler/recipes/fruit-kebabs-recipe

Photo credit: http://belladia.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/04/09/fruit_kabob.jpg

The Eggs-traordinary Garden

Your child will give you the green thumbs-up for this snack that’s loaded with nutrients! Let your child be creative with this flowery arrangement of hard boiled eggs, cheese and colourful vegetables and fruit.

Before your kids start “gardening”, you can do some quick preparations in advance. Start by washing and cutting up a variety of vegetables and fruit. Some great choices are bell peppers, celery, radishes, cucumbers, broccoli, carrots, strawberries and blueberries. You can also cut up small cubes or thin slices of cheese. Finally, have the hard boiled eggs peeled, sliced and ready to go.

Now here comes the fun part! Give your child a large plate and let them arrange their food into flowers. This leaves them with a lot of room for creativity and fun. You can also give them a bit of salad dressing to dip their veggies in. The next step is to eat their food flowers!

Nutrition facts on the snack!

Making two egg flowers gives your child around one serving of Meats and Alternatives, one serving of Milk and Alternatives and two or more servings of Vegetables and Fruits from Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.

Vegetables and fruit give your child vitamins, minerals and plenty of fibre. Fibre helps your child digest properly and can help lower their risk of getting sick. Vitamins and minerals found in veggies and fruits support healthy growth and development.  

Eggs are wonderful sources of protein. Protein helps your child stay strong and healthy. Pairing eggs with plenty of veggies and fruit in this snack gives your child a very nutritious and balanced snack that will keep them full until dinner!

Snack idea adapted from Canadian Parents: Canada’s Parenting Community: http://www.canadianparents.com/recipe/egg-flowers

Photo credit: http://www.canadianparents.com/recipe/egg-flowers