Fun and Healthy Snacks for Kids!

Tatum helping to do some baking

A while ago I posted a piece about DIY Critter Snacks, and it has continued to be popular since it was posted. Summer is the perfect time to load up on all of the amazing produce that’s available at this time of year, and turning them into fun snacks that kids will love (and will pack a nutritional punch!) can be easy and rewarding.

Along with a few tips for making healthy eating fun for kids, making snacks more creative beyond the usual cut up fruit & veggies is a simple way to get them to eat healthy foods they may not try otherwise. Check out the snacks below to get your creativity flowing!

Butterfly Veggie Snack

I got this idea from Parents Magazine. All it requires is peppers, peas, and carrots. My butterflies are definitely not as well-crafted as the Parents version, but it still looks cute and is more fun-looking than a plate of cut-up veggies. Downside: it is ALMOST too cute to eat I had to convince Tatum that it was ok to eat the butterfly, I could easily make a few more!

Here are a few more cute ideas for DIY healthy butterfly snacks:

Fun Spring Treats for Kids 

Butterfly Snack Packs

Banana Pretzel Butterfly

Flower Veggie Snack

How cute is this flower food picture from I Thought I Knew Mama? It incorporates several different veggies in a way that will definitely tempt little ones to at least try the vegetables! This fits in perfectly with our summer season at the moment, and I will be trying this out on Tatum ASAP!

More flower vegetable snacks:

Pepper Pops

Fruit Wands

Flower Cookie Cutter Sandwiches

Tatum enjoying some of our home made popsicles!

Homemade Popsicles

Popsicles are an essential summer treat in our house (and any other time of the year, too!). But I didn’t like that Tatum was basically sucking on food dye and sugar. So we bought some popsicle molds and went to work making our own. It’s a great treat that is easy to make, and you can really get your kids involved in deciding what to put in them. Tatum and I had fun going through the fridge searching for ingredients to put into our popsicles. I love that you can put several different fruits, veggies etc. in them and have a nutrient-loaded treat that any child would love to try. In the popsicles pictured above, Tatum and I used strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, grapes, raspberries and vanilla yogurt, put them in the food processor and blended the ingredients together, and poured them into the molds. After a few hours we had a delicious and nutritious treat!

Here’s where you can find BPA-free popsicle molds:

Non-Toxic Push Up Popsicle Mold – Lavish & Lime

Kinderville Little Bites BPA-Free Ice Pop Molds – Mighty Nest

Norpro Stainless Steel Ice Pop Maker – Amazon.com

And here’s some fun popsicle recipes to try:

Hawaiian Popsicles – weelicious

12 Refreshing Popsicle Recipes – Daily Spark

Orange Fruit and Veggie Popsicles – Whole Food Kids

Photo credit: weelicious

Healthy Ingredients in Surprising Places

I love baking home-made snacks and treats for my family, and things like chocolate muffins, banana bread, etc. are always popular in our house. We try to limit the amount of store-bought goodies we eat, so it’s important that I make new and fun snacks that also contain a lot of nutrition. The red beet cookies pictured above is a great example of taking home-made goodies to a new level. Now, I am not one to hide vegetables in kids’ food. I feel like children should be told from the get-go how important eating well is for our bodies, and be included in helping to create nutritious meals/snacks. I feel like this helps to create a healthy attitude regarding vegetables and healthy foods in general.  So instead of trying to pawn these cookies off as just cookies, I would explain what exactly is in the cookies (or have your kids help so they can see it all coming together) and tell them that fun treats can be healthy and taste delicious too! You’d be surprised at how willing your kids will be to eat cookies with beets in them when they can help or when they see how fun they look!

Here’s more home-made baked snacks packed with nutrients:

Spiced Carrot Muffin Recipe – Yummy Mummy Club

Healthy (Oatlicious) Zucchini Bread and Muffins – The Chic Life

Brownies (with Carrot and Spinach) – Oprah.com

What are your favourite healthy snacks to inspire your kids to eat well? Share some ideas & tips in the comments!

{Franki}

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