Summer is upon us! You have planned vaction and camps, you got everything, but it feels like you’re forgetting something. Well, you are. Snacks! Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
Here are five healthy snacks to make with your child to send (or keep) with them this summer.
1. Ants on a log
This is an amazing snack that is cute and fun to make. All you need for this is:
- Celery stalk(s)for the log
- Peanut butter, Nutella, or non-nut spread
- Raisins or chocolate chips for the ants
To make this you will first cut the ends off a stalk of celery. Then you will cut the stalk in half to make two “logs”. The next part might be fun to let your student do, but it will be messy. You can have your student get some peanut butter on a butter knife and spread it liberally in the divot of the celery stick. Once the peanut butter is spread out enough, take the raisins, or chocolate chips and place them in the peanut butter along the celery stick. When the ants are placed, the ants on a log are ready to be packaged for lunch (or eaten at home).
2. Banana sushi
The next snack we have is simple. This is perfect for kids who don’t like actual sushi. The ingredients are:
- A flour tortilla wrap
- Peanut butter, Nutella, or non-nut spread)
- A banana
- Fruit rollup *optional*
This is a great snack to get your student involved in. They will be able to do most, if not all, of the preparation. The first thing you will do for this snack is lay out a tortilla. Spread peanut butter or nutella in a thin layer all over the tortilla. Next you will lay the fruit rollup (not fruit by the foot) on top of the layer of peanut butter if you choose to use one. Now you will peel a banana, and put the banana on one edge of the tortilla. Now, wrap the edge of the tortilla around the banana and continue rolling until the tortilla is wrapped into a spiral around the banana. Finally, will cut the banana sushi roll in to small pieces to resemble a california roll (or your favorite sushi roll). Your student’s sushi is ready to be packed or snacked on.
3. Grape caterpillars
These little bugs are cute, and totally not gross to eat. It is also a very simple snack, and you may already have these ingredients:
- Grapes (any kind)
- Icing, peanut butter, nutella, or any edible “glue” you have
- Edible eyes, candy, or chocolate chips
- Barbecue skewers
This snack takes no time to make. You will want to take a skewer out, and begin poking it through grapes. You can put as many grapes as you want on the skewer. After all the grapes are on the skewer you will take your edible “glue” and put two dots on one of the grapes on the end of the skewer. This is where you will put your eyes. You can use M&Ms, chocolate chips, or small candy eyes that are found in the cake decorating section of grocery stores. That is all there is to it, the caterpillars are ready for your child to enjoy.
4. Apple cookies
This snack is sweet and delicious, just like cookies. The kick is that it’s actually healthy! Here is what you’ll need:
- Spider crackers
- An apple (firm ones work best)
- Peanut butter, Nutella, or non-nut spread
- Chocolate chips and any other toppings you like
- An apple corer
The first thing you will want to do is core the apple. After your apple is coreless, you will slice it into a couple round, not wedges. Now, you will take whatever spread you chose and spread it on one face of the apple slice. Your slices are now ready for toppings.
This is a great time to have your student help you. I’m sure they’d love to cram as many chocolate chips on each slice as they can. Your apple cookies are done!
5. Fruit and cheese butterfly
This snack has the perfect mix of sweet and salty. The ingredient list is short too:
- A cheese stick
- Crackers
- Fruit of your choice
- A ziploc snack bag
- A pipe cleaner
- A marker to draw a face
This snack begins with a ziploc bag. Separate the items with the bag with crackers on one side, and the fruit on the other. With this one, it will be more fun if you use colorful fruit. Close the bag up, and twist it in the middle. This will be the wings of the butterfly. Set the cheese stick on the twist of the bag. Place about one fourth of the cheese stick above the bag, take a pipe cleaner and wrap it diagonally, binding the the bag and the cheese stick together. Then wrap it diagonally on the other two corners, creating an X shape around the cheese stick and bag. Finally, shape the pipe cleaner into antennas and draw a little face on the cheese stick. Pack it for your student, and you’re done.