Great Summer Snacks For Children

The school year is over, the streets are alive with active children going to the pool, the park, riding their bikes and skateboards with friends. With this much fun going on it makes it hard to make sure they are getting enough good things to eat. So why not follow the spirit of summer and make fun good-for-you treats?

Frozen Bananas

1 Cup sweetened dry cereal
3 firm bananas
3/4 Cup semi sweet chocolate chips


Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil or waxed paper. Place cereal in plastic bag. Tie bag and crush with rolling pin. Put crushed cereal on waxed paper and set aside. Peel bananas and cut in half width wise. Insert a popsicle stick into cut end. Set aside on cookie sheet.

Place water in the bottom of a double boiler. Place the pot over medium heat on stove. When water begins to simmer lower heat but keep water simmering. Place chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Melt chips, stirring occasionally. (chips can also be melted in a microwave, on high for 30 seconds, then another 15 seconds).

Once chips have melted, dip banana into chocolate using a wooden spoon to help cover banana completely.Roll the banana in the crushed cereal and put on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining bananas.

Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

Egg Bunnies

Hard Boiled Eggs
Celery
Raisins, carrots or other vegetables


Slice off the base of a peeled hard-cooked egg so that it will stand up. Cut ear 'shapes' from piece of celery and carefully insert into top sides of egg to make bunny ears. Use bits of carrot, or raisins to form eyes. Make small slits into the egg to place eyes. Do the same for nose.

You can use slices of green onion for whiskers.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2 Bananas
2 c. Strawberries
1 c. Milk
1 c. Plain yogurt


Blend all ingredients and enjoy.

Ants on a Log

Peanut butter


Celery


Raisins


Dried cranberries


Spread peanut butter (or almond butter) onto celery sticks and decorate with raisins or dried cranberries. It looks like "ants on a log". (If you use cranberries, you can call it "lady bugs on a log")

Spring Flowers

sliced bananas blueberries and raspberries fresh mint leaves

Use a sliced banana for the center of the flower and surround with raspberries or blueberries. Use the mint leaves for the stem.

Grilled-Cheese Butterfly

sliced cheese
2 slices bread
celery stalk cut in half
2 small carrot sticks
2 cherry tomatoes


Cut the sandwich into wing shapes by cutting in half. Place a celery stalk between the halves. Use carrot sticks for the antennae with cherry tomatoes as the ends.

Edible Veggie Bowls

1 green, yellow, or red pepper, washed
1 bunch of celery, washed
1 carrot, washed and peeled
your favorite salad dressing


Cut the pepper in half (from side to side). Clean out the seeds and gunk from the inside.
Now you have two pieces. One will be your pepper-shaped bowl.
Cut the other half of the pepper into skinny slices.
Cut the carrot into skinny sticks about 4" long.
Cut celery into skinny sticks so each one is about 4" long.
Put a little salad dressing in the bottom of your pepper bowl.
Put celery sticks, carrot sticks, and pepper slices into the pepper bowl.

Let your child help you make snacks by letting them gather ingredients, let them measure, also by letting them add them. Ask your child to read the recipe to you and let them pick out the snack recipes. Now if you can only get them to clean their room!