Smart Snacks for Kids
By: Aiden Palmer
Tortilla Pizza
What you need:
- Small corn tortillas
- Salsa
- Shredded cheddar cheese
Mound a little salsa and cheese on each tortilla. Cook on foil-lined tray in toaster oven until cheese has melted and is brown at the edges.
Kids can help: Assemble the "pizzas," cover the tray with foil
Extras: A layer of refried beans under the salsa, cilantro for garnish, a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkle of finely chopped green pepper
Parmesan Cheese Straws
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 servings
Serving size: 2 straws
You'll Need:
- Small scattering of flour
- 1 8 1/2-ounce sheet puff pastry, defrosted
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry. Flour the side facing you and use a rolling pin to roll it to a 12-inch square. Brush the puff with egg mixture (you’ll probably use less than half of what you’ve got, but that’s fine).
- Sprinkle the cheese and paprika evenly over the puff. Press the toppings gently but firmly into the puff to help them adhere.
- Slice the puff into twenty-four 1/2-inch strips. Divide the strips between the prepared baking sheets, seasoned side up. Twist the strips twice, clockwise at the top and counterclockwise at the bottom, so that you’ve got one long spiral. Put the baking sheets in the oven and cook until the twists have puffed and are golden brown, about 18 minutes. Let cool and serve.
Nutrition Information (per serving): Calories 97, Carbs 7g, Fiber 0g, Protein 3g, Total Fat 6g, Saturated Fat 3g
Easy Cheese Crackers
- 1 1/2 cups (about 4 oz.) grated cheddar cheese
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt
- dash of cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a pastry cutter combine the cheese, butter, flour, salt and cayenne pepper until the mixture looks like pea-size crumbs. Add the milk and use your hands to form the dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough about 1/8-inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into your desired shapes or use some mini cookie cutters. Gently transfer the crackers to an ungreased cookie sheet leaving 1/4-inch between them. Try to make the crackers roughly about the same size so everything will cook evenly. Bake the crackers on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the crackers are golden. Cool on baking sheet set on a wire rack. These taste great warm but are also very good at room temperature. Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Fruit with Creamy Dip
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cherries with stems attached
Stir sour cream, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Rinse cherries and arrange them for dipping.
Kids can help: Mix ingredients, wash fruit
Extras: Use yogurt instead of sour cream, use apple or pear slices, strawberries or other berries if they're in season
Jam and Graham Cracker Cheesecake
- 3 ounces of cream cheese, softened for 10 seconds in the microwave
- 3 tablespoons strawberry jam
- A few sheets of graham crackers, broken into squares or rectangles
Mix the softened cream cheese with the jam. Spread a little of the mixture on top of each graham cracker. Either eat right away, or chill for 30 minutes. The grahams will soften and become more like a cheesecake crust, and the topping will firm up.
Kids can help: Break up grahams, stir cream cheese and jam
Extras: Use different flavors of jam, top with a slice of fresh strawberry
Homemade Potato Chips
- One Russet potato sliced paper thin
- Salt (optional)
- Parchment paper
Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit a plate. Lay discs of potato on top in a flat layer, none touching. Sprinkle layer with salt, if desired. Cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Microwave for 5-6 minutes. Discs will have become lightly browned potato chips.
Kids can help: Cut paper to shape, lay out slices of potato
Extras:Season with some salt, paprika, garlic or onion powder
Chocolate Banana Crepes
- Pat of butter
- One banana, thinly sliced
- Handful chocolate chips
- Two flour tortillas
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Melt butter in nonstick pan. Arrange banana slices over one tortilla and mash them in very lightly with a fork. Dot with chocolate chips and place second tortilla on top. Slide into frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown and golden at the edges. Let cool for a minute or two, then slice into wedges and serve dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.
Kids can help: Peel banana, spread banana slices on tortilla, lightly mash bananas and arrange chocolate chips over fruit
Cucumber Boats with Spiced Yogurt
- Small cucumbers, such as Kirbys
- Small container of plain yogurt
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cumin
Halve cucumbers lengthwise and scoop out seeds. (A melon baller works great for this.) Mix some plain yogurt, a couple of pinches of sugar, a pinch of salt and a dash of cumin in a bowl. Spread into hollowed cucumbers.
Juice Jelly Cubes
- 2 cups of your kid's favorite juice (we used grape and grapefruit in the photo)
- 2 packets of unflavored gelatin
- 1 tablespoon sugar or honey (optional)
Pour 1/2 cup of juice in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. While this sits, heat the remaining juice to boil (can do this in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes). Pour hot juice over juice and gelatin mixture and stir, adding in extra sugar if desired. Pour mixture into the bottom of a loaf pan and chill for three hours, or until firm. Cut into squares.
Kids can help: Measure, mix
Extras: Pour mixture into miniature or regular-sized muffin tins for different shapes.
Ham Rollers
Websites
1. http://www.parenting.com/gallery/healthy-kids-snacks?page=
2. http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/feeding/healthy-eating/the-20-best-snacks-for-kids/
3. http://www.whattoexpect.com/toddler-nutrition/healthy-snacks-for-kids.aspx
4. http://www.babycenter.com/0_quick-and-healthy-snacks-for-toddlers_1186677.bc
5. http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442474560