🍎🥕 After-School Snack Ideas for Healthy, Happy Kids! 🥪🍊

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Hey parents! When the school bell rings, it’s snack time! Providing nutritious snacks not only fuels your kids but also supports their active lifestyles. Here are some tasty and fun snack ideas that your kids will love:

Pump up the fun:

  • Popsicle smoothie: turn your favorite smoothie into a popsicle by pouring it into a popsicle mold and freezing overnight.
  • Yogurt Parfait: top Greek yogurt with granola and berries 
  • Hummus Fondue: Mix low-sodium vegetable broth into hummus. Serve with whole-grain bread cubes, crackers, pretzels or sliced veggies
  • Snacky Sushi: spread peanut butter on a tortilla, wrap a banana in it and slice into “sushi” pieces
  • Frozen Yogurt Fruit Bark: Line baking sheet with parchment paper, pour yogurt onto baking sheet, sprinkle chopped fruit and freeze. 
  • Orange Bowl: Scoop out an orange half, fill it with whole-grain cereal and milk, and arrange orange segments around it for a sunny snack.
  • Burger Kebabs: Cook a veggie or turkey burger, cut into pieces, and thread onto skewers with cherry tomatoes and pita triangles. Drizzle with ketchup or mustard.
  • Smoothie Soup: Blend frozen fruit with vanilla yogurt and 100% fruit juice. Serve chilled in a bowl or a cantaloupe “bowl.”
  • Ant Attack: Spread peanut butter on celery and top with raisins.
  • Fruit Sundae: fill waffle cone with strawberries, drizzle with nut butter and top with slivered almonds.
  • Apple pizza: slice apple and top with nut butter, fruit, seeds and drizzle with honey.

Keeping it simple:

  • Trailmix
  • Banana + peanut butter
  • Hummus + pretzels or sliced veggies
  • Yogurt drink
  • Cheese stick + grapes
  • Baby carrots + peanut butter
  • Roasted chickpeas
  • Hard boiled egg + crackers
  • Popcorn + nuts
  • Edamame 
  • Yogurt cup and fruit

Remember, snacks can be delicious and nutritious! Help your kids meet their nutrition goals with these creative ideas. 🌟 #HealthyKids #AfterSchoolSnacks

Easy Cinnamon Apple Crisps

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Who doesn’t think of apples when they think about Fall? Did you know the only apple indigenous to the US is the crab apple? Sweet, tart, crisp, and juicy, what more is there to love about this fruit?

October is National Apple Month. Enjoying in-season produce can be beneficial to a budget and to taste. Apples are filled with antioxidants and soluble fiber. There are several different varieties of apples. Red Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Honeycrisp- to name a few. Each variety offers it’s own unique flavor, sweetness, crisp and moisture content. 

Here’s a simple recipe for those spare apples you have on the counter.

All you need for this recipe are 3 pounds of apples (about 6 medium-sized apples) and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 200 ℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Wash and dry the apples. Leaving the skins on, use a mandoline, slice apples as thin as possible. Remove seeds. Place apples on the baking sheet in a single layer and not touching each other. Sprinkle cinnamon evenly over apple slices. Bake for approximately 1 hour and then turn each slice over, and continue to bake for at least another hour so.
*If you like crispier apples, bake for 15-20 additional minutes.

Tips:

  • Cinnamon apple crisps can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
  • Enjoy in your Greek yogurt, oatmeal,  or as a topping for salads.
Enjoy.
LN/KD

Blueberries help in the fight against cancer.

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Summertime is the best time to explore in-season fruits.

Blueberries are in abundance and offer a wide variety of options when it comes to meals and snacks.

At 80 calories per one cup serving, blueberries provide a great source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, and magnesium.

A handful of blueberries can be added to yogurt, mixed in pancake or waffle batters, and even pureed to compliment a salad vinaigrette. The possibilities are truly endless.

Blueberries are rich in flavonoids (mainly anthocyanidins), which have anti-cancer properties. The anthocyanins and polyphenols in blueberries are major functional ingredients for preventing disease.

A 2017 study in Pathology & Oncology Research, demonstrated that blueberries also exhibit inherent abilities to prevent carcinogenesis, inhibit the proliferation of neoplastic cells, and reduce the risks of recurrence in patients in remission. 

Many cancer research studies support that blueberries may be one of the best functional fruits in the health role of preventing chronic disease. Anthocyanins encourage our immune system to function properly, prevent DNA damage and regulate our hormones.

KD

Davidson, K.T., Zhu, Z., Balabanov, D. et al. Pathol. Oncol. Res. (2018) 24: 733. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12253-017-0376-2

Super Bowl Sunday Healthy Snack

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For many people, the Super Bowl is an all-day couch and snack fest, but if you are watching your weight, this big game can hinder your healthy lifestyle.
To help make your Super Bowl dishes more waist-friendly this year, try out this delicious recipe! 
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes

 
Ingredients (Serves 4-8)

8 ounces lean ground beef
2 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup beans {any kind; I used red kidney beans}

for the nachos:

6 oz. tortilla chips {check serving size for amount}
1-1/4 cup (5 oz.) shredded reduced-fat cheese

toppings:

1 avocado, diced
2 roma tomatoes, cored, seeded, & diced
1 green onion, diced
jalapenos, if desired
salsa

Instructions
Add ground beef, onions, and bell peppers to a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until ground beef is done. Drain if needed.
Add chili powder, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and beans to skillet. Stir well, and cook for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Arrange half of chips on 2 large or 4 small plates. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Top with half of the ground beef mixture. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Top with remaining chips. Top with the remaining ground beef mixture, and then sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Microwave for 45-60 seconds until cheese is melted.
Top with desired toppings. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts per 1/4 recipe using 93/7 beef:

482 calories, 20g fat (6.5g saturated), 49.4g carbohydrates, 7.9g fiber, 30g protein

Nutrition Facts per 1/8 recipe using 93/7 beef:

241 calories, 10g fat (3.3g saturated), 24.7g carbohydrates, 3.9g fiber, 15g protein
ssg

Healthy Road Trip Snacks

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Going on a road trip this summer? Here are a few healthy snacks you and your family can enjoy!
Ants on a log: This snack is perfect for any age.  Prepare these treats ahead of time by taking a slice of celery, swiping it with peanut butter, and adding a few raisins on top. Put them into a closed container and you’re ready to hit the road!
Veggies or wheat thins and hummus dip: Carrot sticks, celery, and broccoli can easily be chopped in advance and tossed in your cooler. Each vegetable go well with hummus, the traditional Middle Eastern dip made from chickpeas. With 63% less fat than ranch dressing, this dip makes veggies more delightful without the empty calories.
  
Popcorn: Don’t have time to prepare a snack? Companies offer packaged popcorn with light flavoring. It’s a better alternative to potato chips, especially if you pick up a low-sodium variety. It is low in saturated fats and cholesterol, but high in fiber. A great snack that only takes a minute! 

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated!!
 

Posted by: SSG

Source:  http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/road-trip-snacks-best-foods-family-drive

Breakfast Cookies – Healthy and High Protein

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Want a quick morning boost or snack before a sporting event and tired of all the commercial cereal bars? 

Try these healthy breakfast cookies containing oatmeal, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. These cookies are a good source of fiber and protein and I have found these cookies to be very filling.  They have a hint of sweetness with a great combination of flavors and textures.




Healthy-Hearty Breakfast Cookies
             Yield:  Approximately 20 cookies

  • 1/2 c. butter 
  • 1 egg 
  • 3 Tlb. unsweetened applesauce 
  • 1/4 c. greek yogurt 
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla 
  • 2 Tlb. nut butter (I used almond butter) 
  • 1 tsp. baking soda 
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon 
  • 2 Tlb. cocoa powder 
  • 1/4 c. almond flour or wheat. flour 
  • 2 scoops protein powder-(I used whey vanilla protein) Chocolate might be good, if you are a big fan of chocolate. 
  • 1    3/4 c. quick oats 
  • 1/4c. sunflower seeds 
  • 1/4c. chopped pecans 
  • 1/4c. chopped walnuts 
  • 1/4c. chopped crasins 
  • 1/4c. chopped tropical dried fruit 
  • 1 Tlb. honey
Preparations:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. 
  2. Cream butter. 
  3. Add in the rest of the liquid ingredients (including yogurt and nut butter) and beat until well combined. 
  4. Add in dry ingredients ( except oats, dried fruit, nuts) and mix until combined. 
  5. Mix in oats, followed by any additional add-ins. 
  6. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until cookie starts to brown and is firm to touch
 

Serving Size: ~ 2 cookies

Calories: 266
Fat gm: 16
Carbohydrate  gm: 22
Protein gm: 8

 
This is a wonderful alternative to commercial cereal and protein bars.  I took these cookies for snacks at Sunday school and everyone really enjoyed them. Try two cookies with 8 oz. skim or 1% milk for a very healthy, quick and convenient breakfast. cb