NUTRITIOUS SNACKS FOR CHILDREN
- Sticks of carrots, celery, cucumber, green or bell peppers
- Ants on a log*
- Banana ice cream*
- Whole grain crackers with nut butters (Tahini, almond, sesame, etc)
- Smoothies with blended fruit
- Yogurt and fruit
- Whole wheat pretzels
- Sprouted bread and apple slices
- Almonds and raisins
- Popcorn
- Popsicles made with fresh juice
Healthy substitutions
Instead of…… |
Try………. |
Cupcakes | Sprouted bread or make your own cupcakes using whole grain flour and honey or molasses as sweetener |
Ice cream | Fruit smoothies (add blueberries, bananas, oranges, and/or apples with soy or rice milk) |
Soda pop | Fresh fruit diluted with ½ mineral water; herb tea (rose hips, lemon grass, cranberry apple or hibiscus) |
Kool aid | Chilled herbal tea (rose hips, lemon grass, cranberry apple or hibiscus) |
Jello | Mix 1 tbsp agar with 3 ½ cups fruit juice and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into mold with fresh fruit berries and refrigerate |
BBQ potato chips | BBQ rice crackers |
Popsicles | Frozen juice in a Popsicle (ie blend a banana, rice or soy milk and carob and freeze) |
Candy | Dried fruit and nuts; health candy* |
Cookies | Convert your favorite recipe |
Cakes/Pies* | Cut a watermelon into the shape of cake layers. Use sliced bananas for filling between the layers and toothpick various fruits and berries on. Great for summer birthday parties!! |
Healthy Recipe Substitutions – to make your favorite recipes healthier and allergy free:
Instead of…… |
Try………. |
Sugar | ½ cup honey (or less) for 1 cup sugar. Decrease oil by ½ when using honey |
Shortening | Use ½ oil and ½ butter |
White flour | Use same amount of whole wheat flour |
Wheat flour | Use 7/8 cup brown rice flour for 1 cup wheat flour |
Nutritious Snacks for Children
Ice cream:
Peel a number of very ripe bananas. Cut into one-inch pieces and freeze in a closed plastic bag until very hard. Just before serving, run through juicer or blender with a small amount liquid (water or juice). Serve immediately. Add carob powder or berries to blender for different flavours or top with fruit and nuts
Pie crust:
2 cups whole wheat flour (or 1 ¾ cups brown rice flour)
1 tsp salt
¾ cup oil and butter ( ½ and ½ of each)
Blend flour and salt. With pastry fork, cut in oil and butter. Sprinkle with 5 to 6 tbsp cold water, mixing between each tbsp. Roll out into crust. Makes top and bottom crust.
Apple pie:
Slice enough apples to mound in bottom pie crust. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp whole wheat flour and 1 tbsp cinnamon, mixing gently. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon on top. Drizzle with honey so apples are about ½ covered. Cover with top crust and bake at 425° for 40-50 minutes.
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Filling: 2 pints strawberries, 1-1 ½ cup apple juice, 2 tbsp arrowroot powder, 1/8
cup honey
Bake bottom pie crust at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Wash berries. Heat 1 ¼ cups juice in a saucepan. Mix arrowroot with reserved juice and add to boiling juice. Cook over medium heat until thick and clear. Remove from heat and stir in honey and 1 cup sliced strawberries. Cover and let “set” at room temperature until cool. Fill pie crust (cooled) with remaining berries and pour sauce over them. Return to freezer for a few minutes.
Ants on a Log…. (a sure hit!)
Spread almond or peanut butter into celery sticks. Dot with raisins (the ants)
Candy (for special occasions)
1 cup natural almond butter or peanut butter
½ cup carob powder
½ cup mashed banana
2 tsp vanilla
mix together, shape into balls and roll in cinnamon. If desired, press a walnut half on top. Store in the refrigerator. Variation: mix peanut or almond butter and granola and refrigerate.