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Zucchini bread and other quick breads make relatively healthy snacks and are good one-bowl recipes for kids to learn to make. Dietitian April Mitsch suggests making several at a time, then slicing them and storing them in the freezer until needed. Individual slices can be microwaved or reheated in the oven at snacktime.
(The Associated Press)
A Garden Home mom has been looking for whole-food snack ideas - in other words, not Pirate Booty or string cheese - for her kindergarten son that he can make himself. He’s already doing small amounts of cooking.
Here are ideas from Jan Hodge, a Kaiser Permanente clinical dietitian and certified diabetes educator, and April Mitsch, a dietitian who works with children at Oregon Health & Science University's Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Clinic.
The big picture: Mitsch recommended defining a snack as at least two food groups – a vegetable and a starch, or a protein and a fruit. That's easy for kids to understand while also broadening the possibilities.
She added that the key to getting whole-food snacks in front of kids regularly “is getting some recipes that you all like and that can be done one or two times a month and stored.”
Mini-muffins: "You could do something that has a little bit of fiber or dried fruit or pumpkin," Hodge said. "They could stir, and they could put the batter in the little cups." (Here's a recipe for pumpkin muffins from The Oregonian's FoodDay section. Bonus: It's gluten-free.)
Quick breads: The classic zucchini bread is a relatively easy recipe and can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until needed, Mitsch said. (Here's a Better Homes and Gardens zucchini bread recipe I've used for years.)
Pancakes: Mitsch recommended using different grains and adding fruit. Her family picks berries in summer and then freezes them for use year-round in pancake and waffle recipes. (Here are 10 pancake and waffle recipes from FoodDay to try.)
Mini-pizzas: Use an English muffin as the "crust," Hodge said. The child can spread pizza sauce on top, sprinkle it with shredded cheese, and add cut-up meat or veggies. A parent can then put the muffin under the broiler. (My brother and I made these when we were kids – we baked them in a toaster oven.)
Mini-sandwiches: A child could make a sandwich and then use a cookie-cutter to cut out fun shapes, Hodge said, adding that she recently saw ninja cookie cutters at Powell's Books for Home and Garden.
Layer it: "You could get an ice cream cone and you could put yogurt and fruit in it," said Hodge. Think parfait.
Dip it: Take advantage of kids' fondness for dipping by coming up with different kinds of dips for them to try, Hodge said – she suggested a ranch dip made with cottage cheese or Greek yogurt. (Here's an easy ranch dip recipe using those two ingredients that a child could put together with adult supervision.)
Mitsch said bean dips store well and are great for spreading on a tortilla or on pita bread. (Here's a black bean dip recipe that takes about 20 minutes – the length of the typical small child's attention span in the kitchen, Mitsch noted.)
Salad crackers: Make egg salad or tuna salad and then spread it on crackers, Hodge said. (Here are some egg salad recipes from FoodDay. Whole Foods offers a kid-friendly tuna salad recipe.)
Smorgasbord: Mitsch said that when her kids were younger and had friends over, she would set out a platter of cut-up fruit, cut-up raw vegetables, olives, cheese and nuts along with small plates. The kids could help themselves at any time as long as they sat at the table and ate off a plate. If the veggies weren't moving, Mitsch would hold off on replenishing the other items and eventually the veggies would be eaten, too, she said.
More ideas for healthy snacks for kids:
Apple slices with peanut butter or honey, turkey melt and more, from Omamas in the kitchen: After-school snacks
How about a potato pal?
Websites:
KidsHealth.org – Hodge recommended this site, where the recipe section includes "Home Alone" recipes designed for children to make by themselves.
KidsEatRight.org – Mitsch recommended this site, which is loaded with nutritional information and advice as well as recipes. One example: Caprese salad on a stick.
BobsRedMill.com – Mitsch said she's also a fan of the recipes from Bob's Red Mill, the Milwaukie-based purveyor of whole grains. How about apple blueberry granola cookies?
SNAP-Ed Connection – For families on a tight budget, Mitsch often recommends the recipes on the website of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Sample snack recipes: Asian Peanut Butter Dip with Celery, Baked Chicken Nuggets.
ChooseMyPlate.gov – Mitsch mentioned this site, which includes kids' snack tips for parents.
Books:
Tyler Makes Pancakes and Tyler Makes Spaghetti – Mitsch recommended these children's picture books, by Food Network chef Tyler Florence, that show where food comes from and how it's made.
Lidia's Family Kitchen: Nonna's Birthday Surprise – Mitsch also recommended this children's book by celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich.
What healthy snacks do you and your kids enjoy making?
--Amy Wang