Snacks we have. However, he was a little nervous his friends would want crisps and chocolate instead of what was in our kitchen. Maybe a reasonable concern, maybe not. I don’t know their families well. I left it with T. that if they didn’t like what we had, they could always run home. (no one has)

To keep snacks healthy – and keep me sane – I plan and prepare snacks the same I plan and prepare meals.

Earlier this summer, I’ve shared some of snack idea: protein balls, trail mix, frozen banana pops, frozen kiwipearcado. This week, I made 2-ingredient banana biscuits, granola bars, and smoothie popsicles. [Recipes end of post]

What’s the advantage?

1. Planning reduces stress.

2. Batch cooking saves time and reduces food waste.

3. Preparing food yourself reduces processed foods and added salt/sugar we just don’t need.

One more bonus? Whole food is “higher satiety”. That is, processed foods are designed to be “lower satiety” which means that one – biscuit or crisp or bar – is never enough. “Higher satiety” means that one or two are more likely to make you feel like you’ve had enough.

Recipes:

I’m not a chef, I’m a doc. But I do collect recipes!  I save them in a book  — but I’m not always sure where they came from. 

 Kiwipearcado:  Ratio of 1/2 avocado to 1 kiwi and 1 pear.  Peel kiwi, avocado, and pear; core pear.  Add fruit to blender or smoothie maker and blend until smooth.  Add squirt of lemon or lime juice.  Put in freezer.  This will freeze very hard, so I tend to freeze it in portions.  Remove from freezer few minutes before serving to soften.

Banana-Almond Bites:  In a bowl, mash 2 medium bananas and add 280g ground almonds.  Take one dessert spoon of dough and roll it into a ball and place on parchment-paper lined baking tray.  slighty flatten with hand or fork.  Bake for around 14 minutes at 180C.  Let cool completely on baking tray before transfering to air tight container.

Smoothie popsicles: You can’t go wrong getting creative here:  a little juice (orange or apple) and some left over fruit or frozen fruit and blend until smooth.  You can add a spoon of yogurt.  Around 500mL in total will fill most kids popsicle makers, but check your own.  Avoid smoothie additives such as chia seeds or nut butter.  They are great in normal smoothies but texture isn’t great in popsicles.

Granola Bars: There are soo many recipes out there!  I’m always trying a new one.  If you’re trying to reduce sugar, search online for “toddler” recipes (yes, even if you’re kids are older)  Already a great cook and want to get creative?  All kid granola bar recipes tend to be made with the same base:   150g oats, 2 ripe mashed bananas, and 2 tablespoons of a nut butter.  After that, most recipes tend just to vary about what’s added next:  berries, dessicated coconut, raisins, or dark chocolate pieces (no more than 1 cup of these ingredients) and usually an option to drizzle bit of honey or maple syrup. Firmly press the mixture into a parchment paper lined dish, bake at 170C for around 20 minutes and allow to cool completely before cutting. Bonus:  If it ends up being too crumbly on your first attempts, embrace it.  Crumble it up and store it in an airtight container and serve your homemade granola over yogurt.

Need to impress more than the neighbourhood kids?  Fruit skewers with dip are always popular — even with kids who don’t like fruit.  The trick is to use a variety of fruits for colour.   For the dip:  mix cup of plain yogurt (I use soya) with a small drizzle of honey, drop of vanilla and sprinkle with cinnamon.  (It’s my go-to for playdates.)

Need even more ideas?  Follow Paediatric Registered Dietitians on social media!  They frequently post great kid-friendly meal and snack ideas (as well as tips on common problems like fussy eaters).