It was a long while before I realised I am always stumped for kid snacks that are quick to put together, are not junk food and yet are nutritiously filling. Does this sound familiar? If you are in the same boat, you would find these interesting. They can be easily adapted to increase the variety as well. These various ideas I found on the net, cookbooks, magazines and from talented other mothers which turned out great for my family. My little one loves each one of them and eats without a fuss. See, if you find your favourites here. Don't forget to see the "Variations" for each of the idea for more recipe ideas.
1. Peanut Butter Banana Sushi
Peanut butter and Banana were meant to be together. A fruit, a nut, some grain come together to make a nutritious and filling meal.
Variation
- Nutella Banana Sushi (swap Hazelnut chocolate spread instead of PB),
- Almond Banana Sushi ( Almond butter instead of PB),
- Peanut Butter on one half of tortilla and Jelly/Jam on the other and roll tight to make PB&J Sushi.
2. Nutella Strawberry Quesadillas
Spread hazelnut chocolate on a tortilla, then place thinly sliced strawberries on top. Place another tortilla and toast it on both sides on a pan to make these satisfying Quesadillas. Provides a quick burst of energy for your kids before (more) classes!
Variation
- Roasted Strawberry and Peanut Butter Quesadillas ( Roast Strawberries in the oven for about 15minutes. Spread peanut butter on one half of tortilla, place strawberries on top and close the other end to make quesadillas)
- Strawberry and Cashew Butter Quesadillas
- Strawberry, Banana and Peanut Butter Quesadillas
- Almond Butter Banana Quesadillas
3. Strawberry Jam Milkshake
I take homemade
Strawberry Jam, homemade
Vanilla Icecream (No Eggs? Use
Eggless Vanilla Icecream) and some milk to blend this into a milkshake. Quick to put together, filling and provides some calcium and protein along the way!
Variation
- Add in some Banana and little vanilla extract to make Strawberry Banana Milkshake
- Blueberry Jam Milkshake (with or without icecream)
- Strawberry and Blueberry Milkshake (in combination with fresh fruit, if preferred)
- Use Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries to make Triple Berry Milkshake
4.Chocolate Fruit Dip
Image & Recipe Source: Cookingclassy.com
I almost always switch the heavy cream and the cheese with full fat Greek Yogurt to make my dip to suit my kid's taste preferences. But, I am sure the original tastes as delicious as it sounds.
Variation
- Peanut butter and Greek Yogurt Dip. Use honey instead of sugar for additional health boost! Tastes especially great with sliced apples!
- Use greek yogurt along with some Neufchâtel cheese and whipped cream to make a creamy fruit dip
5. Cheese Quesadillas
My little one LOVES cheese quesadillas and if his mother would allow him, he would eat it 3 times a day, 7 days a week. While plain cheese is pretty satisfactory, I like to jazz it up with some variations now and then as listed below.
Variation
- Throw in some cooked beans to make Cheese and Bean Quesadillas
- Cooked Black beans and corn makes for a very good looking quesadilla.
- Cooked Black beans and Sweet potatoes with cheese are mind numbing delicious!
- Flash cooked mixed veggies ( I use OPOS method takes only about 5 minutes) and
cheese to make Veggie Quesadillas
- Avocados and Black Beans have all the good fats and is very satisfactory without weighing you down
6. Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Hands down the easiest snack to make. All you need is a cheese slice and 2 bread slices. The kind of cheese and the bread is totally upto you. Just make sure that you use a nice melting cheese for this one.
Variation
- Add in some Spinach Pesto to make Spinach Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Roasting Veggies make it taste so much better. That along with cheese in a sandwich is perfect! So if you have leftover veggies from previous meal, reuse it here.
- Cooked Black beans and Sweet potatoes with cheese are mind numbing delicious!
- Use store bought pizza/pasta sauce, thinly sliced onions, bell peppers and cheese to make Pizza Grilled Cheese.
- Do you have boiled potatoes on hand? Add in some tomato ketchup, garam masala, finely sliced onions and spices; throw in some shredded mozzarella to make Inian styled Grilled Cheese Sandwich
By Anand on May 16, 2020
How is it Unhealthy? From what I see around, this is far healthier than what kids eat nowadays. But if you say they should be eating broccoli/veggies and some salad of sorts all the time, then yes, its little less nutritious than that. But I am trying to pander to a wider audience with kids who have variety of taste buds. --DK