Adios, apple slices.
Healthy snacks like melon balls, peanut butter bugs and edamame sprinkled with sea salt are soaring in popularity among the pint-size set. For parents who crave creative, easy-to-make meal options for their kids, shake up snack time with these lip-smacking ideas from A to Z.
A | AVOCADO CHUNKS Patrick Manwiller of Leesport suggests avocado chunks, one of his son’s favorite snacks. Eat the chunks plain or build a tower by stacking the chunks, along with tomato, on top of a whole-wheat cracker.
B | BUILD-YOUR-OWN MINI PIZZA Sinking Spring resident Amy Caltagirone says her family enjoys building healthy pizzas at home. Add a swirl of sauce to whole wheat pre-made dough, top with low-fat cheese and pile on mushrooms, olives and peppers.
C | CUTIES Moms Tara Lesagonicz of Mohnton and BCL photographer Catara Carrell of Douglassville recommend Cuties for a satisfying snack. A seedless, easy-to-peel mandarin clementine, Cuties are available by the bundle at area supermarkets and are perfect for on-the-go kids.
D | DELICIOUS DRINKS Try homemade fruit smoothies or flavored waters. Following a Weaver’s Orchard recipe, Reinholds resident and mom Jessica McCray places lemon slices and lavender in a gallon of water, lets the water sit overnight, strains and serves.
E | EDAMAME Steam edamame and sprinkle it with sea salt. It’s nutritious, plus kids can squeeze the pods and pop out the green soybeans, making it a blast to eat, too.
F | FROZEN BANANAS Frozen bananas aren’t your average fruit snack. Place a peeled banana on a popsicle stick, wrap in plastic and freeze. For crunch, roll the banana in shredded coconut or chopped nuts.
G | GRANOLA Let kids take over the kitchen and create bags of no-bake granola. Use various ingredients, such as rolled oats, puffed rice, cornflakes, nuts, figs, dried apricots, cherries and cranberries.
H | HUMMUS Rachel Bashore of Muhlenberg Township loves when her daughter requests hummus at snack time. To make crushed chickpeas even more appetizing, give kids fun dipping “tools” like air-popped crackers and red bell pepper strips.
I | ICEES & ICE POPS Blend ice cubes, seltzer or club soda, 100 percent fruit juice and chunks of fresh fruit. For another refreshing treat, pour the leftover icee mix into popsicle containers and freeze.
J | JELLO JIGGLERS Jello jigglers are the perfect snack-slash-activity for wiggly kids. Make sugar-free Jello, pour into a 13x9-inch pan and refrigerate until firm. Use cookie cutters to create assorted shapes.
K | KABOBS Line up ingredients and let kids build their own kabobs. Think pineapple chunks, grapes, blackberries and cherries for sweet fruit kabobs. Or for mini chicken kabobs, use grilled chicken pieces, tomatoes, peppers and onions.
L | LETTUCE WRAPS Lettuce wraps, or inside-out sandwiches, are fun to make and eat. Place turkey, tomato, low-fat cheese and a squirt of mustard on a piece of lettuce. Fold lettuce over ingredients, and voilá.
M | MELON BALLS Get the scoop on this cool treat. Grab an ice cream scooper, then dig into fresh fruit like cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon, and pile the melon balls high in a bowl.
N | NUTS A handful of raw or dry-roasted almonds, cashews and walnuts provides a powerful boost of protein and helps kids stay full. Skip salted nuts or those roasted in oil, dieticians advise.
O | OATMEAL One look at the tasty toppings–such as strawberries, blueberries, apricots, kiwi and toasted coconut– that they can add to oatmeal, and kids will definitely warm up to this hearty snack.
P | PEANUT BUTTER BUGS Sinking Spring resident Jennifer Quick enjoys preparing easy-peasy peanut butter bugs with her children. Spoon peanut butter onto sliced celery stalks, then add raisins for bug eyes and sliced carrot sticks for bug legs.
Q | QUINOA White rice has met its match. Pair quinoa, a healthy alternative, with snow peas, kale or asparagus; spice it up with cilantro and lime; or sweeten it with cherries, almonds and a drizzle of honey.
R | RAW VEGGIES Head to your favorite farmer’s market and stock up on raw, seasonal veggies, including cucumbers, broccoli, snap peas and cherry tomatoes. Sneak in a few artichokes and radishes, too. Healthy dips are optional.
S | SWEETPOTATO FRIES Full of fiber and high in calcium, sweet potatoes are the super food of snack time. Make “fries” by slicing sweet potatoes into strips. Season with pepper and bake for 10 minutes.
T | TORTILLA CHIPS Grab a handful of baked tortilla chips and dip into a bowl of homemade or all-natural low-sodium salsa. For fun, challenge kids to scoop up the most veggies from the salsa without breaking their tortilla.
U | UPSIDE-DOWN MUFFIN Drain a pineapple ring, place in a baking cup and add half of a whole-wheat muffin on top. Warm in the oven, then invert muffins onto a plate. Top with fresh blueberries.
V | VEGGIE CHIPS Low in fat, baked veggie chips are a nutritious snack, says Susanne Fiori of Nature’s Garden in Mount Penn. Bags include multi-colored chips in several flavors: spinach, corn and carrot.
W | WHOLE GRAIN WAFFLE STICKS Whether you prepare whole-grain waffles from scratch or heat up the frozen kind, this simple snack will make kids smile. Cut waffles into strips and add a scoop of peaches, mangos or strawberries.
X | X-CITING SNACK MIX Think outside the box and have kids prepare snack mix. The catch? They can only use cereals ending with the letter “X,” such as Chex, Trix, Kix and Crispix.
Y | YOGURT PARFAITS Packed with protein and calcium, yogurt parfaits are also a yummy snack. In a clear glass, layer low-fat, plain yogurt in between ingredients like crushed graham crackers, granola, berries and bananas.
Z | ZUCCHINI BOATS Sail away during snack time with zucchini boats. Slice a zucchini in half and discard seeds. For the filling, skip meat and breadcrumbs. Instead, incorporate herbs and vegetables like chives, basil, mushrooms and sundried tomatoes.
