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Posts tagged under Snacks. Show all posts.
Much is written for moms by moms about snacks for kids but what about snacks for moms? Moms get hungry mid-morning and mid-afternoon too and are always looking for something healthy and filling, and ideally purse or diaper-bag friendly…no refrigeration, no special container, and non-squishable. Simply impossible to find, you say?
We thought so too until we found the Simply Bar from Wellness Foods, which has the most protein with the least calories of any natural food bar, and is made from pronounceable ingredients like soy and brown rice syrup, no weird fats and no artificial sweeteners. There are five yummy flavours—Cinnamon, Cocoa Raspberry, Lemon Coconut, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Cocoa Coffee—and they all make for a great on-the-run snack. I’m keeping one in my bag at all times now—might save me from scarfing down that chocolate bar at 4 pm when I realize I still have not had a chance to eat lunch!
I try to limit the number of children for a play date to four—my two and two friends. But earlier in the week, my older son asked me if he could have three friends over for a play date. Those three friends just happened to be girls. I reluctantly agreed. Fortunately, it was a lovely afternoon and the five of them were able to spend most of the time outside. I didn’t want to seem too overbearing, but I also wanted to give the play date some structure. I know what boys like to do at play dates, but I wasn’t sure I knew what the girls would want to do.
I decided I would play it safe and organize a cooking activity—make your own ice-cream sundae. This proved to be a great after school activity and snack idea. I brought all the ingredients and bowls outside, helped them serve their ice-cream and yogurt and then they built their own delicious creations. Having the kids prepare their snack outside left my kitchen free of sprinkles, sticky fingers, and ice-cream drips. Needless to say, everyone was happy!
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During the summer months, seasonal picks are numerous and delicious, making it very difficult to choose just one favourite. This month, however, sweet cherries are definitely at the top of my list. I just can’t resist the baskets of juicy, red sweet (Bing style) cherries at my local fruit and vegetable market. My kids love cherries just as much as I do and, if left unsupervised, will consume an entire bowl, pits sucked clean. More times than not, the basket won’t see the end of the day. Cherries certainly aren’t the most economical fruit choice (sometimes you can find them for less but they typically are around $4.99 a pound), but because I only buy them when they’re in season, they seem like a treat. Agreed—they aren’t the most kid-friendly fruit, but in my opinion sweet, juicy cherries are worth a little extra stain remover and some elbow grease. This fruit is easy to clean and easy to transport, making them a perfect addition to any lunch box or picnic basket.
Serve a big bowl of cherries for dessert or throw a few into a pitcher of lemonade or margaritas and enjoy this guilt-free pleasure. One cup (250 ml) of cherries contains only 81 calories and is a good source of Vitamin C and potassium.
If you are interested in picking your own cherries, check out this site to find out where you can find a Pick-Your-Own farm near you.
Stay tuned for my next favourite seasonal picks!
What are your fave seasonal fruits or vegetables?
Seriously, what will they think of next? I was amazed when dripless candles hit the market but now dripless popsicles? Now that is what we call a game changer at SavvyMom HQ.
It’s true, Popsicle, the original brand of popsicles has added a touch of gelatin to their range of products (including minis, swirlwinds and regular ice pops) and now they drip a lot less. We can’t promise you they don’t drip at all but since they are called ‘Slow Melt’ they really just delay the dripping all over your face and hands process so thet your kids have a chance to taste the frozen desert. Very civilized, indeed. Now you have an answer to the questions about ‘why do we have to learn science, anyway?’…it took them long enough, didn’t it?
I have been making frozen yogurt popsicles for my sons since they were first able to hold on to a stick. (They’re perfect for teething.) Now, they are old enough to make their own. Higher in nutritional value, lower in fat, no artificial ingredients, and less expensive—why wouldn’t you make your own yogurt treats? During the summer months I keep the blender on the counter (or at least within view) for quick breakfast smoothies or popsicles. Throw whatever fresh fruit (frozen is fine too) you have on hand, plain or flavoured yogurt, and a splash of fruit juice (if needed) into a blender and blend (the kids love this part). If the yogurt mixture is too thick, thin it out with a little juice or milk. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and pop them in the freezer. You can have the kids do this in the morning when you are making breakfast, and they will be frozen in time to enjoy after school or camp. The preparation will be no more than 10 minutes, clean-up is minimal, and the kids get a much needed pre-school/camp diversion.
What kinds of snacks do you like to make with your kids?
This is just a new savvy tip I discovered: use Pam in your door hinges to fix squeaks in a hurry without the mess of wd40 - it is magic!
Do you want your kids to think you’re magic? Pop some corn on the stove—in a pot! If you have a pot with a clear lid use that so they can see what is popping inside the pot. Then just watch their jaws drop and their eyes pop out of their faces. Our microwave in the bag/movie going toddler set (and anyone under thirty, frankly) is likely never to have seen popcorn popped in a pot, on the stove, with melted butter dripping on top. Poor things.
All you need is a bag of kernels, some butter, salt and about 2 Tbsp of oil. Pour the oil and some butter (butter at this stage is optional but I like to include it for taste—about a tbsp) in the pot until melted and hot. Add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pot and more, and turn the heat to medium. Wait for the first pop, then the second and then the tenth…keep the lid on and keep moving the pot back and forth so the kernels move around and the popped ones don’t stick to the bottom.
Pour the popped corn into a bowl. Melt more butter in the same pot immediately after. Pour melted butter on top and add salt (to taste) and mix well. It will bring you back to your childhood…just remember to share some with your kids.
I’m so glad you do this too - I thought maybe I was the only one. We don’t own a microwave so we have only ever popped our popcorn on the stove. I love it and I’m so happy you’ve just shred it with everyone else.
We are all aware that during the colder months, the selection of fresh, local and/or seasonal fruits and vegetables isn’t nearly as good as it is in the warmer months. However, there is one seasonal fruit that my family looks forward to in December that isn’t available any other time of the year—clementines.
Clementines are the smallest of the Mandarin orange variety. They are seedless, very low in calories and very high in Vitamin C, a valuable cancer-fighting nutrient. One clementine gives you 60% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. Unlike cherries, clementines are a more ‘laundry-friendly’ fruit. Kids of all ages love clementines. They are inexpensive, sweet and juicy, portable, and easy to peel—the perfect snack idea. Use them in place of any other type of orange, in desserts, green salads, or fruit salads.
What is your favourite seasonal fruit or vegetable?
Over the next few days we will be stopping in at friends, visiting family, and entertaining at home. Each of these occasions will require gifts of some description. One simple and cost-effective gift idea is a Mason jar or pretty bowl filled with Holiday Snack Mix. It is one of my favourite hostess gift or snack ideas to have on hand during the holiday season. Gifts from the kitchen are always a big hit with everyone, no matter where you are.
Homemade snack mix (otherwise known as bits-and-bites or nuts-and-bolts) is insanely easy to make and I usually have most of the ingredients on hand. This recipe is a great way to use up leftover cereal.
There are many different versions of snack mix recipes—on cereal boxes, food websites, and in family cookbooks, but this particular recipe was passed on to me by one of my closest friends. Add or omit ingredients to create your own family holiday snack mix.
Holiday Snack Mix
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Once cooled, fill up Mason jars, jam jars, boxes lined with wax paper, cookie tins from the dollar store, and tie them with ribbon or raffia.
What are some of your favourite tips or tricks?
Hi. My name is Denise and I am a carb-oholic. My addiction begins at breads and includes bagels, toast, English muffins, breakfast pita, and my strongest vice, muffins. I love muffins! My biggest challenge with this vice is avoiding temptation. Each morning on the way to work I walk by four bakeries and three coffee shops, all of which sell muffins. The muffins look delicious from the outside, but if you take a look at what’s on the inside, you will discover that most are made with white flour, void of whole grains, loaded with sugar, and very high in fat. Is it is a muffin or a cake?
In my previous life, I would have picked up a coffee and a muffin from my local coffee shop every day of the week, without considering the nutritional (or lack of) value. Today, I am more health conscious and therefore more selective when it comes to the muffins I eat. The most effective way to manage this is to make my own muffins.
I love to bake, and over the years I have compiled a collection of ‘family-favourite’ muffin recipes. Unfortunately, by the time the homework is completed, the bedtime routine is finished, and the dishes are done, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to make muffins from scratch. This is where Grainstorm baking mixes come in. SavvyMom was first introduced to Grainstorm products a couple of years ago and we loved them. Recently, they reconnected with us to let us know about some improvements they had made to their production facility, website and product line. We thought we should ask for some samples. I, of course, chose to try the muffin mix. Grainstorm muffin mixes come in two blends—Ancient Grain Muffin Base and Kamut Muffin Base. These freshly-ground, organic grain muffins are quick and simple to make, rich in wholesome ingredients, lower in sugar than other muffin mixes, and best of all—delicious.
My sons love them just as much as I do, and because they are nut and peanut-free, I can send them to school. I fill a combination of mini and regular-sized muffin tins—perfect wholesome snacks for recess and mid-morning coffee breaks. I am no longer tempted by the ones in the coffee shops. You can either make the muffins from the instructions on the packaging or create your own variation by adding dried fruit, chocolate chips, or ripe banana. These mixes are great to have on-hand in your pantry, too. Available at www.grainstorm.ca.
What is your favourite packaged mix?
Thanks for this info…I just ordered the trial pack of 3 and the Oatmeal cookie mix. I will let you know what my kids think…
Wow..these sounds great. Thank you for the link and the recommendation - I’m going to check it out now.
We’re planning on cocooning this month (hello, couch, here we come), what with the weather, the Oly’s on TV and the Family Day holiday. So to get ready, we’re dusting off one of our favourite recipes and family traditions—making your own popcorn. No microwave required, if you make it the old-fashioned way. We’ll tell you how. Your kids will think you’re magic.
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Do you have a favorite topping for your popcorn?
I usually sprinkle with some garlic powder as soon as it is done.
Instead of salt I use curry powder, so yummy!
Just last week we had a surprise visitor at SavvyMom HQ—a gentleman, clad in a very distinguished, rather princely uniform. He was quite handsome and he was bearing fruit. This fruit, he was actually hand-delivering right to my desk with a big smile and kind wishes. What a lovely split-second distraction.
But alas, he was no secret admirer. Just a guy dressed up sharing some very yummy apples with the office for us to test out and enjoy. They are called Red Prince Apples (aptly named) and they were really quite delicious—but not to be confused with Delicious apples, or Macintosh or Granny Smith.
The Red Prince is a premium apple, locally grown in Thornbury, Ontario, available during the winter months. Recognized for its antioxidant-rich red skin, the Red Prince has inherited the sweetness and juiciness of the Golden Delicious and the crispness and tanginess of the Jonathan (another apple type in case you were wondering who Jonathan is).
We liked eating these apples on their own but they are also tasty in salads or in baking and they pair particularly well with sharp cheddars and blue cheeses.
We’re especially happy to be eating an apple harvested by a company that is dedicated to sustainable growing practices and to increasing the volume of local product for local consumption.
I’d love to know if you try one out and what you think of them.
I love Red Prince apples :) To learn more about them visit www.redprinceapple.ca.
“I was too busy at recess to eat my snack. There wasn’t enough time to eat my snack today. I set my container down on the ground while I was playing and forgot to pick it up again. Why can’t I bring candy for my snack? Dessert means chocolate, not fruit. Can you please pack me a non-healthy snack today?”
Sound familiar?
Seven years as a parent of school-aged children and two children later, I have discovered that packing snacks can be just as challenging as packing lunches. Having nutritious snacks throughout the day is especially important for school-aged children because they help to keep their energy levels up and their minds alert.
Here are a few of our favourite lunchbox or recess snack ideas.
What kinds of snacks do your children like to take to school?
One batch of cookies doesn’t seem to last very long in our house. On Thursday evening of last week I baked a whole batch, but since it’s difficult to resist freshly baked cookies, I lost a few that same night. And, after a full weekend of skiing and playing in the snow, everyone’s appetites were huge. By the time I went to pack lunches for school the next morning, there was only one cookie left in the cookie jar. So just in case there was time later, I removed the butter from the fridge to soften.
Fortunately for me, my kids enjoy baking (and I always have chocolate chips on hand). At age 10, Cameron can confirm the measurements and Spencer loves to crack the eggs and do the mixing, as most six year-olds do. After a snowball fight, snow soccer and tobogganing off the end of the neighbour’s deck, they were ready for a snack (and a break). In my experience, baking and cooking are both great activities for calming kids down after an active day. Store the cookies in the pantry, cookie jar, or freezer in an airtight container. Cut a round or square shaped piece of vanilla ice-cream and sandwich it in between two of the cookies for a quick and easy dessert idea. Or serve a cookie wedge with a scoop of ice-cream. I can’t promise that your cookies will last any longer in your house, but with a recipe as simple as this, you can always bake more.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies (or 1 cookie wedge)
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What is your child’s favourite afterschool snack?
Mmm…oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are my very favourite.
If you add raisins to the milk and egg mixture and let them soak for about an hour before you mix and bake then they come out super sweet and a nice alternative to chocolate chips even! I just tried it recently and my 3 and 8 year olds love them!
I also make a double batch of cookies and freeze some in individual snack bags so when I am scrambling to make lunches in the am I can pop one out of the freezer and stick it in my sons lunch box frozen then by lunch it is ready to munch on!
Like everyone else who is trying to be more health conscious, I am also doing my best to make healthy food choices for my family. Grocery shopping takes a little bit longer, but in the long-run our hearts and kidneys will be stronger for it. Instead of giving up the things we love, I am always on the lookout for healthier (lower fat, lower salt) alternatives. This includes everything from breakfast cereal, to tomato sauce, deli meats for lunches and SNACKS.
Snacking has become a bit of a hobby here at Savvy HQ. And, with so many samples arriving for testing, there is no shortage of snacks (healthy or otherwise) to choose from. Affectionately referred to by my colleagues as ‘the one with a sweet tooth’, I don’t usually choose to snack on chips and crackers. However, we recently received samples of a new line of natural pita chips, called In Snax Pita Crisps. I am hooked. This new, healthy chip alternative is available in three delicious flavours—Sea Salt, Multigrain with Garden Herbs and Cinnamon with a Touch of Sugar. My personal favourite is the Sea Salt—crispy, salty and surprisingly filling.
In Snax Pita Crisps have up to 70% less fat and sodium than regular chip brands, are high in fibre, trans-fat free, oven-baked with sunflower oil and, best of all, are peanut-free. This makes them a perfect snack for school lunches or classroom parties. You can either eat them plain, serve them with dip or salsa, or have them on the side at a meal in place of bread or crackers. Even better, In Snax Pita Crisps are reasonably priced and available at your local grocery store.
What is your favourite snack food?
It’s tough to come up with new and interesting snack ideas for the kids, but it’s so important that they eat small, healthy meals regularly when those little bodies are growing. The après-school snack is very important in our house (about 3:30) because who knows what they ate for lunch.
I like to have a variety of fruits and veggies with dips and crackers on the counter so the kids can choose what they want to fill up on and get used to making healthy choices. Celery, carrots, cucumbers, grapes (or whatever is in the crisper) with crackers, hummus and cheese are my ‘go-to’ options. It sounds like a lot to prepare, but when the food is in the fridge and ready to go, it’s easy and can be replaced every day.
My kids are ‘dippers’ so I like to try new recipes for them to dip their veggies and crackers into. Here’s a great recipe that they love:
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Comments
I tried these and they work! They taste great as well!
What a great idea! My kids don’t like popsicles (I KNOW - so weird!) but if they did I would love this new feature!