Healthier Snack Ideas for Kids
It's common for kids to want to indulge on sugary snacks, especially when they get home from school or in the holidays. It's not ideal to cut these treats out altogether, so here's some great ideas on how to get them to enjoy healthier snacks, without being boring!
Apple donuts
These donut apples are not just good to eat, but fun to make too. Simply choose your favourite toppings and spreads to create these donut inspired decorations.
You will need:
- 1-2 apples
- corer (not essential but ideal)
- Spreads of your choice (Nutella, peanut butter, cream cheese)
- Toppings of your choice (oats, chocolate chips)
1. Cut an apple into 3/4 inch slices, and using a knife or corer cut circles into the middle to create a donut shape. (As seen in the left image.)
2. For spreads, you can use Nutella, peanut butter, cream cheese... or anything you fancy! Spread onto the top of the apple slices.
3. Now to add the final decorations. Again, it's your choice: chocolate chips, colourful sprinkles, cereal, oats or fruit (some healthy alternatives too!) Sprinkle these on top of the spread and your apple donuts are ready to eat!
Frozen yoghurt pops
These are perfect for hot summer days after school. Simply freeze overnight for instant healthier ice pops to cool down on.
You will need:
- 2 cups of frozen fruit (of your choice!)
- 2 cups of full fat vanilla greek yoghurt
- 3 tablespoons of honey
- blender or bowl and hand mixer
- ice pop sticks
- ice pop mould or ice cube trays
1. Add the frozen fruit, yoghurt and honey to a blender. This is ideal if you want a really smooth ice pop, but if not add to a bowl and hand mix instead
2. Once mixed to your desire, pour the content into ice pop molds or ice cube trays (however shape and size ice pops you want)
3. Before putting into the freezer, add ice pop sticks into each mould.
Rainbow fruit and veg kebabs
Sometimes its just about finding simpler and easier ways to get kids to eat more of their 5 a day. When it's chopped up and displayed in a fun way, you usually have a winner! So these fruit and veg kebabs are a great way for them to get their daily vitamins.
You will need:
- Their favourite fruit and veg chopped into similar sizes (as seen in the image) For the rainbow part, include fruit and veg that match colours of the rainbow (strawberries for red, etc.)
- Cocktail sticks
There's not much to it, just simply pierce pieces of your chopped fruit and veg through cocktail sticks to create colourful kebabs!
Guilt-free no bake chocolate chip Blondies
These are great to make for when you're in the mood to create something sweeter, but without all the waiting around to bake them, (and the guilt, because they're healthy!) So what exactly are blondies? They're basically brownies in reverse- instead of using chocolate powder to create a chocolatey base, the ingredients are substituted to make a 'blonde' cake base.
You will need:
- 128g + 2 tablespoons coconut flour sifted
- 64g mashed banana
- 32g peanut butter
- 32g honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
1. Line a 8x4 loaf pan with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Mix well until at a creamy texture.
3, Once creamy, add coconut flour and combine well. Then add the chocolate chips and mix in.
(It is mixed well when it feels like a play dough consistency/it holds together well.)
4. Spread the mixture into the lined pans with your hands, pressing evenly with a suitable thickness.
5. Pop in the fridge for 1-2 hours till firm. Once set, pull the sides of the baking paper up from the tin, place on a tray and cut the blondies into individual squares.
