Snacking is a great way to eat in the summer.  A snack is a mini-meal that’s fun to eat, full of flavor, and refreshing.  Trade junk packaged snacks for small portions of real food.  Fresh juicy fruits and veggies at our farmers’ markets can make tasty mini-meals. It’s an easy way to satisfy hunger, stabilize blood sugar levels while giving your body the nutrition it needs. Eating small, frequent meals help keep your body weight down and your energy up and kids happy.

SLURP:  Slices of juicy peaches, plums, nectarines, apricots and melon.  Delicious all on their own.  Have fun, serve them as shapes on a plate:  Cookie cutters turn melons into hearts and stars.

LICK: Refreshing popsicles loaded with fruit 

• Icy Treats: Mash up melon and freeze ice cube trays or small paper cups.

• Creamy Treats: Mix together in a blender or mash together 2 cups of fruit and banana with 2 cups of plain or vanilla yogurt. Pour into popsicle molds, paper cups or an ice cube tray.  Add sticks or toothpicks for easy eating.  Freeze for 5 hours. 

• Quick tricks: Adding avocado makes popsicles creamier, plus adds healthy fat for energy, along with lots of vitamins, like B,C,E and K.

CRUNCH: Add some protein

• Peanut butter: Use it as a dip for carrots, celery sticks or spread it on slices of apples.  

• Slice cheese on apples; try cheese sticks; top whole -grain crackers with cheese, tomato slices or cucumbers

• Dip veggies in salsa: Cucumbers, zucchini, carrots, even broccoli stalks

• Chocolate Hummus? See below

SIP: Fruit Slushes beat soda. Blend fruit and ice for a refreshing way to cool down. Try 2 cups fruit, cut into cubes with 1-2 cups of ice. Blend. Add water if too thick to sip through a straw or  more ice to eat with a spoon. Try different fruit combos.

Time for an Art Class

RECIPE: CHOCOLATE HUMMUS

Yes, it’s actually healthy with super nutritious chickpeas, peanut butter, and antioxidant-rich cocoa powder. Kids LOVE it. A great way to eat more fruit or veggies

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or black beans

• 4 tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened

• 2 tablespoon peanut butter, all-natural

• 1/4 cup maple syrup, pure

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

TO MAKE:

• Mash all the ingredients together or add them into the cup of

• a large food processor. Puree until smooth.

• Serve with apple slices

Green Goddess Smoothie or Popsicle: Great for Breakfast, lunch or a pick-me-up ”snack”

Blend 1/2 cup sliced pineapple, mango or banana, 1/2 cup berries and 1/3 cup raw kale or spinach with ¼ cup of milk or yogurt.

Flavor with 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup.

Put in paper cups or popsicle molds and freeze for 5 hours. (You won’t taste the kale)

TIPS AND TRICKS

Making Popsicles: Molds can be helpful and inexpensive. You can get them online or in stores that sell housewares. OR you can use ice cube trays or paper cups. Just add popsicle sticks when your mixture is half frozen, about 2.5 hours in.

Make your own flavorful lemonade or any fruit drink

• Start with a simple syrup:

• Mix 1 cup honey to 5 cups water.

• Bring to a slight boil so honey dissolves. Cool.

• Add 1 cup lemon juice or a mixture of lemon and lime juice.

• Pour over ice. Add mint if you like or slices of fresh ginger. Try basil or rosemary

More small meals helpers:

Deviled eggs are a kid-friendly lunch with lots of protein.

• Boil eggs in a pot of water for about 10 minutes. Run them under cold water until they’re cool to the touch.

• Peel and cut them in half, then scoop out the yoke and place in a mixing bowl.

• To the yolk, add a dash of mayonnaise and mustard.

• Top with dill, cilantro or any herb you like, then place back in the white for a filling and energy-boosting snack or lunch.