Easy, healthy snacks

[TabithaW]

I could sure use some suggestions for quick healthy snacks for both myself & my kids (10 & 14). For me it is pretty easy. I am a fruitaholic. The kids are crazy about ice cream, especially in the summer. The past couple of days I have been getting them to make their own juice type bars & popping them in the freezer for the next day. Last Night we placed a small spoonful of of vanilla ice cream into the popsicle molds & filled them with orange juice. Yum! Way better than a store bought popsicle.

What is your favorite quick & healthy summer snack?

 

[Sugarhill]

I can suggest you getting a box of Vanilla Jello, a can of Pumpkin and if you want, protein powder. But, anyway, blend the Jello and pumpkin together as you would in making the pudding. You'll have the sweetness of the pudding and the health benefits of pumpkin.

 

[Laurasav]

Fruit is always a good thing and very healthy. Carrot sticks or baby carrots are good to munch on too, and since I hate most dips, I don't "ruin" the healthy snack by dipping them into a fattening dip!
I like your ice cream OJ popsicles - that sounds like a great treat! We always buy low fat ice cream. Kroger's own brand is quite good, but Turkey Hill is even better!
I also like angel food cake with fresh strawberries in the summer.

 

[twinsmommy]

I always have fresh fruit and cut up veggies in single serve portions so the kids can just grab whichever one they want. I bet my kids would like your popsicle idea though. Thanks for the tips!

 

[happyrociante]

I can suggest you getting a box of Vanilla Jello, a can of Pumpkin and if you want, protein powder. But, anyway, blend the Jello and pumpkin together as you would in making the pudding. You'll have the sweetness of the pudding and the health benefits of pumpkin.

That's really cool! I may have to try that. You use the pumpkin in place of the water or do you decrease the amount of water? And do you have to heat it?

TabithaW, I found this site the other day that might have enough ideas to please all of you.
http://nourishedkitchen.com/healthy-treats-for-kids/

I think I am going to have to try some of them myself!

 

[ssamcd]

I like to buy a watermelon and cut it up, and also cantaloupe, and melons. Those are my favorite healthy snacks. I can eat them much better than the apples, and bananas. The melons are nice when they are all mixed together. My friend you to take the whole watermelon and cut it out and refill it with the different melons. I find the melons great in the hot weather.

 

[Sugarhill]

I've never made Jello with water, I made the pumpkin-jello combination with milk. This is the Jello pudding, not the gelatin. I used a blender.

 

[freshfoodie]

I always have a ton of fruit around but a good rule of thumb for making a well balanced snack is to make sure that you have one protein and one carbohydrate (i.e. apple and cheese stick). The calorie count should hover around 200-300 for a snack. Instead of ice cream try frozen fruit smoothies or frozen yogurt. Also buy the sugar free pudding in your favorite flavor, mix it normally and freeze into pops.

 

[TabithaW]

I've never made Jello with water, I made the pumpkin-jello combination with milk. This is the Jello pudding, not the gelatin. I used a blender.

Jello pudding, now I see. I was thinking jello the wiggly kind too. Now that I get it, it sounds fabulous. I am a pumpkin freak!

 

[Sugarhill]

Yeah, it is really delicious and if you have someone that you don't want to tell the ingredients of it to, they wouldn't notice the difference at all. It's also kind of filling from the pumpkin aspect.

 

[hunysukle]

Frozen grapes make a nice, cool treat on hot days. Other healthy snacks include frozen yogurt, whole grain cereal, granola bars, nuts, whole grain sandwiches, and of course fresh fruits & vegetables. Dip vegetables in mashed avocado for extra nutrition and taste.

 

[shaunche]

A healthy snack I enjoy eating from time to time is courgette hummus. It's simple to make, blend up a skinned courgette with garlic, tahini, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. It's just as good as chickpea hummus, my friends couldn't tell the difference.

 

[Hyacinth]

I love cucumber slices, carrot and celery sticks for snack. I dip them in one of those store-bought dips or sometimes I make my own dip by mixing together yogurt and sour cream. Another favorite is whole wheat crackers topped with flaked tuna.

 

[Luvkenny]

Yum! Those sound wonderful! We eat a lot of fruit here for snacks! We also eat frozen yogurt - we just freeze yogurt cups and gogurts. Have you ever tried frozen grapes or bananas?

 

[lettuce]

Instant frozen yogurt - I love that idea, Luvkenny! Does the yogurt end up being as solid as a rock, though?

I've always found that an easy summertime fix is fruit juice frozen in ice cube trays to make mini popsicles.

 

[shaunche]

I watched a TV show called 'Silent Eaters', to of the subjects ate lots of healthy snacks and it resulted in weight gain. The theory is that people eat more of the healthy snacks and end up consuming excess calories. Try to limit your snacks even if they are healthy.

 

[Pat]

We try to keep apples and watermelon for quick snacks around for the kids.

 

[letusbefree]

Lately, my roommates and I have been doing a lot of smoothies. It's really quick and easy to just chop up some strawberries and bananas or whatever other kind of fruit you have around, throw in some juice or yogurt, and then blend it for a really healthy snack! Great for summer, and so refreshing, especially when you use watermelon. Also, if you like ginger, adding a little bit into your smoothie gives an interesting flavor and a nice kick -- not to mention the fact that ginger happens to be really good for you.

 

[misumaru15]

These are all really good snack ideas. I have sometimes had ginger root tea before. I hadn't though to adding in a bit of ginger to smoothies. The kiddos and I have been making them as it is hot in Texas now.

 

[shaunche]

Lately, my roommates and I have been doing a lot of smoothies. It's really quick and easy to just chop up some strawberries and bananas or whatever other kind of fruit you have around, throw in some juice or yogurt, and then blend it for a really healthy snack! Great for summer, and so refreshing, especially when you use watermelon. Also, if you like ginger, adding a little bit into your smoothie gives an interesting flavor and a nice kick -- not to mention the fact that ginger happens to be really good for you.

Eating the fruit whole is a better option. Pureeing the fruit increases the insulin response. Smoothies are good, though, and drinking fresh fruit smoothies is obviously better than drinking soda, but it's not something I would do on a regular basis.