Summer is here and it’s hot outside. Why not cool things down a bit with some quick and healthy snacks you can make together with your children. It’s important to make sure your child is snacking on good foods so they get the benefits of important nutrients like calcium, iron, vitamins A and C. Busy and active kids also need to be properly hydrated during summer months. Of course water is a great choice but other foods and fluids count as well. Fruits contain water, so keep summertime fruits handy, chilled and ready to serve. Nothing beats fresh cool fruit on a hot summer day. Milk and beverages made with milk can be an important source of fluid as well.
Since children are more likely to eat snacks that they help prepare, get them involved. Washing and peeling fruit, crushing nuts and cereal or measuring ingredients are all easy tasks for kids to master. Cooking experiences help build a child’s self esteem and teach them valuable skills like working together, cooperating, and following directions. So get out of the sun and beat the heat with these cool summer treats. Try these recipes to make snack time an enjoyable activity for you and your child.Fresh fruit snacks
Wash a bowl of seedless grapes, blueberries, or strawberries and set in the freezer for about an hour. Poke colored toothpicks into the frozen fruit and call them mouse popsicles.
Wash a bowl of seedless grapes, blueberries, or strawberries and set in the freezer for about an hour. Poke colored toothpicks into the frozen fruit and call them mouse popsicles.
Fruity Cones
½ cup crushed pineapple, 1/3 can mandarin oranges, cut in small pieces, ¼ cup grapes cut in quarters, ½ banana peeled and diced, ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, ice cream cones
Drain pineapple and oranges. Place all the fruit in a large bowl and toss to mix. Spoon into cones and enjoy! Makes 5 regular cones
½ cup crushed pineapple, 1/3 can mandarin oranges, cut in small pieces, ¼ cup grapes cut in quarters, ½ banana peeled and diced, ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt, ice cream cones
Drain pineapple and oranges. Place all the fruit in a large bowl and toss to mix. Spoon into cones and enjoy! Makes 5 regular cones
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Pour an 8 oz. container of your favorite yogurt into paper cups. Fill them almost to the top. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup. Using the Popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup. Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid. Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup and eat your pop!
Pour an 8 oz. container of your favorite yogurt into paper cups. Fill them almost to the top. Stretch a piece of plastic wrap across the top of each cup. Using the Popsicle stick, poke a hole in the plastic wrap. Stand the stick straight up in the center of the cup. Put the cups in the freezer until the yogurt is frozen solid. Remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup and eat your pop!
Frozen Monkey Snacks
Peel a banana and cut in half. Insert a Popsicle stick into the cut ends. Dip the banana into yogurt, and then roll the bananas in chopped nuts, or crushed cereal, or coconut shavings. Place the bananas on a small waxed paper lined baking sheet and set the sheet into the freezer for an hour or so. Fun to make and eat!
Ice Cream Porcupine Treats
Peel a banana and cut in half. Insert a Popsicle stick into the cut ends. Dip the banana into yogurt, and then roll the bananas in chopped nuts, or crushed cereal, or coconut shavings. Place the bananas on a small waxed paper lined baking sheet and set the sheet into the freezer for an hour or so. Fun to make and eat!
Ice Cream Porcupine Treats
Scoop balls of ice cream or frozen yogurt onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet; place in the freezer to firm up. Insert peanuts into the ice cream ball so they resemble porcupines. Serve in a dessert dish drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches
Use your favorite cookie and some vanilla frozen yogurt. Keep it nutritious by using graham crackers, peanut butter or oatmeal cookies.
Use your favorite cookie and some vanilla frozen yogurt. Keep it nutritious by using graham crackers, peanut butter or oatmeal cookies.
Allow yogurt to soften a bit. Scoop some soft yogurt onto a cookie. Place another cookie on top. Press down gently.
Put in freezer. Allow to set about 20 minutes or longer. Make a big batch and store in freezer for cool treats all week.
Put in freezer. Allow to set about 20 minutes or longer. Make a big batch and store in freezer for cool treats all week.
Banana Cream Pie Treat
Cut up banana in bite size pieces. Place banana bits on a graham cracker. Add a swirl of whipped topping. Place another graham cracker on top and squish down. Enjoy!
Strawberry Frappe Recipe
1 cup of low-fat strawberry ice cream, 1 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen, 2 cups skim milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed to combine. Serve in tall glasses.
Cut up banana in bite size pieces. Place banana bits on a graham cracker. Add a swirl of whipped topping. Place another graham cracker on top and squish down. Enjoy!
Strawberry Frappe Recipe1 cup of low-fat strawberry ice cream, 1 cup sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen, 2 cups skim milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed to combine. Serve in tall glasses.
Fruity Blue Smoothies for Kids
½ cup of orange juice, 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 cup washed stemmed blueberries, honey to taste
½ cup of orange juice, 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 1 cup washed stemmed blueberries, honey to taste
Have kids measure the orange juice and yogurt. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth.
Orange Cream Recipe (orange julius)
1 cup fat-free milk, ¾cup of orange juice (calcium added), ½ fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, 3 Tablespoon orange juice concentrate, 2 oranges slices (garnish)
1 cup fat-free milk, ¾cup of orange juice (calcium added), ½ fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt, 3 Tablespoon orange juice concentrate, 2 oranges slices (garnish)
In blender blend all ingredients except orange slices, until smooth. Immediately pour into two tall glasses and garnish with orange slices.
Chocolate milkshake
3 cups of cold skim milk, 1 small pkg. sugar free chocolate pudding mix, 1½ cup of vanilla frozen yogurt.
3 cups of cold skim milk, 1 small pkg. sugar free chocolate pudding mix, 1½ cup of vanilla frozen yogurt.
Pour cold milk, chocolate pudding mix and frozen yogurt into a blender or milkshake maker. Blend at high speed 15 seconds until smooth. Let stand a few minutes. Mixture will thicken as it stands. You can thin this thick shake by adding more milk.
Pineapple Milkshake
20 ounce can of crushed pineapple crushed, undrained, 2 cups of fat free vanilla ice cream, 1 cup of skim milk, ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
20 ounce can of crushed pineapple crushed, undrained, 2 cups of fat free vanilla ice cream, 1 cup of skim milk, ⅛ tsp. cinnamon
In food processor, combine pineapple, ice cream, milk and cinnamon, process until smooth.
For healthier recipe ideas, check out the following websites:
http://www.kidnetic.com/Recipes/
http://kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/index.html
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/
http://www.kidnetic.com/Recipes/
http://kidshealth.org/kid/recipes/index.html
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/
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