Even with spring on the horizon, it will be awhile before farmer’s markets are up and going with all the in-season produce everyone loves. If you’re tired of prepackaged snacks for your little ones, and they’re getting tired of applesauce and goldfish, try these simple ideas for some homemade goodies to keep tummies full and the winter blahs at bay just a bit longer.
There may not be any snow on the ground, but who needs the cold stuff when you can have popcorn snowballs? They may not be the healthiest of snacks, but they sure would make a great treat for a February party! On the other hand, if you’re a more health-conscious parent, or you simply don’t want to load up your kids on sugar during the months when sickness is so easy to catch, try this no bake snowball version of energy bites from Super Healthy Kids.
No Bake Snowballs
Ingredients:
1 cup granola
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
1/3 cup coconut
Instructions:
Mix granola, peanut butter, honey, and cereal. Pour coconut on parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto coconut, and roll into a ball.
Keep the winter vibe going and make a snowman fruit snack with in-season citrus, like kid-friendly, easy peel mandarin oranges for the body, pretzel sticks for arms, and you can even add a fruit rollup scarf. Snowmen are easy to find on any snack plate as long as you have cream cheese and something round. Think bagels, crackers, and rice cakes. Add raisins or chocolate candies for eyes and buttons, and don’t forget the carrot nose! Dress up banana slices or string cheese as well. For once, let your kids have an open invitation to play with their food–as long as they eat the result!
Continue the citrus trend with this winter fruit salad. Popping with color and taste, you’ll be dishing up this combo of kiwi, apples, oranges, and pomegranate seeds as quickly as you can make it. And if you’re still hungering for the game day mix from Super Bowl Sunday, whip up your own winter spice slow cooker mix. A delicious blend of nuts, rice and corn cereal, pretzels, Cheerios, and winter spices, this snack will do double duty as a home fragrance. Pre-fill the snack bags, and you’ll be good to go another round with Old Man Winter.
Tell us your favorite snack for these so short (yet so long) winter days!