The Healthy Snack Attack
Healthy Snack Ideas for Kids (and Adults!)
How do you know the holidays are here? Because its snowing white sugar! Everywhere I turn these days, there seems to be a bowl of green and red candy calling my name, a plate of holiday cookies smiling at me, or a gingerbread house just inviting me in for a tasty treat! There is no lack of sweets tempting me and my kids on every corner. Occasionally, I have the will power to say “no, thank you”, but my kids on the other hand haven’t mastered that technique yet.
These days, I try to fill my kitchen with some treats that will satisfy their sweet tooth and keep the cavities at bay. Here are a couple of favorites we love to make and enjoy eating together….
Peanut Butter Balls
What kid doesn’t like to get their hands all gooey and sticky? These peanut butter balls are fun to just pop in your mouth when you need a sugar fix, plus they pack a little protein too. They are quick and easy to make and kids love the hands on help they can offer.
¼ cup honey
½ cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
½ cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup uncooked oatmeal (substitute crushed whole grain cereal or crushed graham crackers)
Mix honey and nut butter together, add dry milk and then oatmeal cereal. Roll dough into 24 balls and refrigerate.
Dipped Bananas
This is a great alternative to the sugar laden popsicles, pudding pops or fudgicles.
Peel a banana.
Cut in half and put a wooden popsicle stick in the cut end of the banana.
Dip in plain or vanilla yogurt, then roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
Variation:
Dip the peeled banana in melted organic dark or milk chocolate*, then roll in coconut or crushed nuts and freeze.
Store airtight in freezer for up to 1 week.
(* To melt chocolate: place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir constantly until melted.)
Gingerbread Cookies
These cookies are great because they do not contain eggs, nuts and are low in sugar content. Kids find these tasty and fun to make and decorate. This recipe was submitted by Jill’s List member, Alexi!
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups molasses
2/3 cup apple juice
6 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 tsp each baking soda and salt
1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice
In large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and beat until blended, then mix in juice. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice. Gradually add to butter mixture, blending to form a stiff dough. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or until next day (this is very important!)
On a floured board, roll out dough, a portion at a time, to a thickness of 3/16 inch. Cut out with a 4 to 6 inch gingerbread boy cutter and, transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to racks and let cool completely before decorating.
Makes about 4 dozen.
ENJOY!
