A couple weeks ago I used snack preparation as a way to procrastinate from the work I had to do. I peeled bananas, cut slits into them, put a little peanut butter in each slit, and stood Teddy Grahams up in the peanut butter. The kids went crazy for what I announced to be “special snack”…and now they ask for special snack every day.
It’s tough for parents to keep healthy foods interesting and routines, well, not routine.
One way to put a fun spin on nutritious foods is to create dessert snacks. Picture some of your favorite desserts re-imagined with fruits and veggies instead of sugar and pastries and you’ve got new children’s snack ideas sure to please the pickiest of eaters.
- Carrot Cake – Combine the carrots and raisins of carrot cake to create this yummy snack. For extra fun use baby carrots to create a smile, a cluster of raisins to create the eyes, and a dollop of ranch dressing as a nose to complete the snack smiley face.
- Blueberry Pie – Put fresh blueberries in a bowl, add low-fat milk with a touch of vanilla, and top with some healthy granola to recreate the delicious taste of blueberry pie and vanilla ice cream.
- Banana Bread – Do you love banana bread with warm chocolate chips? Line a peeled banana with mini-morsels, place in the microwave for just a couple moments to soften, and serve!
- Strawberry Cheesecake – Serving strawberry slices over low-fat cottage cheese not only packs a powerful protein punch but creates the same creamy taste of everyone’s favorite dessert.