So, obviously these aren’t ground breaking recipes, here. I’m just sending out a reminder to moms that you can have healthy, cheap snacks ready for your kids in minutes without opening up a single processed food package. Keep a variety of fruits and vegetables handy so you can always come up with something creative last minute. Use what you have! If you have time to make some easy-mac, you have time for these!

1. Baked Sweet Potato Fries (8 months & up)

 Slice sweet potatoes into french fry pieces. Coat with olive oil & a small amount of salt (only if your child is over a year). Spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 min, “stirring” the fries every 10 min. You can also skip the salt & sprinkle some cinnamon and honey (no honey till 1 yr) on them instead! Perfect for a teething baby to gnaw on, or an older child to snack on!

2. Hummus & Veggie Plate (18 mos & up)

Cut up 1 or 2 of your child’s favorite vegetable. Put a dollop of hummus on the plate and let them dip as much as they want!

3. Fruit & Honey (honey after 1 yr)

This is one of my favorite snacks. Adding some raw honey to a piece of fruit is a sure way to curb a sweet tooth. My favorites are strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, and oranges.

4. Celery Sticks with Cream Cheese and Turkey (2 & up)

Fill celery with cream cheese & top with a slice of shaved turkey breast!

5. Avocado Toast (2 & up)

Slice & mash ripe avocado on top of a healthy slice of toast.

6. Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips ( 2 & up)

Slice an apple into thin slices. Slightly grease a cookie sheet with unsalted butter or coconut oil. Spread out apples & sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

7. Baked Kale Chips (18 mos & up)

You can make these in so many different flavors. Sometimes I use soy sauce or grated parmesan, but normally I just stick with my basic recipe: Peel kale from the stem and rip into bite size pieces. Spread onto pan, coat them with olive oil, a LITTLE bit of salt, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until kale is crunchy. Careful with the salt, a little bit goes a long way with these. Even the pickiest kid will love them!

8. Peanut Butter & Banana Toast (2 & up)

Spread some real, no sugar added peanut butter on a healthy slice of toast & top it with sliced banana. If you want it to be a little sweeter, drizzle some raw honey on top!

9. Frozen Grapes (18 months & up)

Skewer some grapes, and freeze them! Can also be frozen and eaten without skewer for younger kids. Great alternative to sugary popsicles. You can also make a fruit shish-kabob with grapes, kiwi, mango, pineapple, etc. Fun!

10. Parmesan Cheese Crisps (18 mos & up)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put a tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese (fresh, not the one in the green can!) on the sheet and lightly pat down so it’s in a disc shape. Leave 2 inches in between each one. Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Let cool, then peel off & you have parmesan chips!

I highly encourage you to make snacks for your kids instead of opening up packages. Those foods are loaded with sodium, sugar, corn syrup, and other additives that will leave your kids feeling unsatisfied & still hungry. They will thank you one day!

Xo

Lisa O