Posts tagged ‘summer snacks’
Chipper Snacks: 3 Ways to Eat Watermelon this Summer
Plain and unadorned, watermelon is a reliable source of cool refreshment. At 92% water, it’s a wonderful snack for those hot summer days and a great source of vitamin C for your little ones. With it’s sweet and juicy taste, they’ll never guess that they are eating a healthy snack! Watermelon is always good but check out these ideas for creative ways to use this favorite summertime fruit!
1. Halloween in the Summer: Carve a Melon Manner!
Looking for a sweet real estate deal? Turn the rind of this favorite summertime fruit into a palatial home for toy figures or visiting fairies.
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- Start by slicing off one end of the melon and setting it aside. Cut the insides into pieces, remove them, then scoop out any remaining chunks with a long-handled spoon (save the insides to make a scrumptious salad seen below).
- Carve windows and a door with a small knife, or if you really want to get fancy, break out your pumpkin-carving tools.
Use toothpicks as needed to join bits and pieces into shrubs and to secure the roof (made from the sliced-off end). To illuminate your stately mansion by night, place a battery-operated tea light inside or use an old fashion candle!
2. Forget Baking: Try these Cool Cookies!
All you need beside a watermelon is Vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt and Sprinkles (optional).
- Slice melon into 1-inch-thick slabs, then use cookie cutters to make shapes.
- Frost your treats with vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt (spoon the yogurt into a squeeze bottle to make decorating really fun and easy) and top them with sprinkles if you like.
3. Use up chunks of Watermelon: Test out this Surprisingly Delicious Salad!
The sweet-and-salty flavor combo of watermelon and feta may sound a little strange, but trust Chipper: your kids will go bananas for it. You will need:
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- 8 cups cubed watermelon
- 2 to 4 ounces cubed or crumbled feta
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil or mint
- 8 cups cubed watermelon
- Instructions:
- 1. Mix the watermelon and feta.
- 2. Toss with a dressing made from the lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with slivered fresh basil or mint. Serves 8.
- Like Chipper always says, “Healthy before sweet can’t be beat!” Enjoy your sweet AND healthy watermelon this Summer!
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Chipper Snacks: Healthy Frozen Treats for the Summer!
When the summer comes along, making sure your kids eat healthy snacks is a must! Too many of us are drawn to packaged, processed snacks for our little one’s, as they are easy to buy and bring along during our fun in the sun. But like Chipper always says, “Healthy before sweet, can’t be beat!” Feed your children healthy sugars by buying fruits that are in season during the summer months and trying these simple, fun snacks! Serving frozen treats not only cools your bigger kids down, they are great for toddlers when they start teething. The cold feels good on their gums, and it get’s them to eat something healthy! These little one’s love to eat frozen peas, suck on frozen strawberry pops and crunch fruit juice ice spooned from paper cups when their baby teeth start to appear!
ARCTIC ORANGES
4 oranges
4 cups orange juice
4 cherries
Cut the tops off the oranges in a zigzag pattern. Hollow out the insides, remove the seeds and combine in a blender with the juice. Set the rinds in a muffin tin and fill with the mixture. Drop a cherry inside each orange. Freeze for 2 to 3 hours. Soften the treats for 5 minutes, then serve. Makes 4.
BANANA POPS
3 bananas
6 Popsicle sticks
1/4 cup peanut butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped peanuts or walnuts, granola, crispy rice cereal or sunflower seeds
Peel the bananas. Cut them in half, width wise, and push a Popsicle stick through the cut end of each half. Spread peanut butter on the bananas, then roll them in the nuts, cereal or seeds. Wrap them in waxed paper and freeze for 3 hours. Makes 6.
FROZEN FRUIT SALAD
Freeze the following bites for a fast and frosty treat: grapes, pineapple chunks, peach slices, apricot slices, banana slices, apple slices, cantaloupe balls, watermelon chunks, peas, zucchini slices, cucumber slices, orange wedges and fruit leather.
Chipper Snacks: A Healthy Summer Snack of Fruity Lemonaide Icepops
The summer is officially here! Chipper is excited for some warm weather fun and all the delicious fruits in season. Once the kids are out of school, it can be hard to make sure they keep eating healthy during the summer slump. On those scorching days, when going to the pool or beach still won’t cool them down, try this simple, HEALTHY Ice Pop recipe rather than giving in to the ice cream truck man! As Chipper always says, “Healthy before Sweet, Can’t be Beat!” Plus, it can be a fun activity to try with your kids!
The recipe is very simple: fresh squeezed lemonade poured over chunks of juicy fruit and then frozen. All you need are some freezer popsicle containers, which you can find at most stores or online for as little as $3, and some fruit! We used kiwis and blueberries here because they look so cool suspended together in the golden ice, but you can use any kind of fresh fruit you like — pineapple, strawberries, mango — there are no end to the possibilities.
Fruity Lemonade Ice Pops makes 8 ice pops
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 4-5 lemon’s squeezed)
1/4 cup agave or honey
8 kiwi slices (or try a cut up Banana)
16 blueberries (or try sliced Strawberry’s)
1. In a bowl, mix together the water, lemon juice and agave.
2. Place 3-5 blueberries and 1 or 2 kiwi slices in each ice pop mold.
3. Gently pour the liquid mixture into each mold. You can reposition the fruit after you’ve poured in the liquid.
4. Freeze 6 hours or until frozen through.
5. Serve and Enjoy!
Your kids will love making and eating these tasty snacks! It also is a great way for them to cool down while getting their daily intake of fruit needed to keep them strong and healthy. Please share your different fruit combo’s with us this summer! When life gives you lemons…make some popsicles!
Chipper Snacks: Fruit Facts and Crunchy Summer Fruit Salad Recipe
Fruit is one of the best kinds of food for you and there’s no better time to eat some fresh, juicy produce than during the hot summer days. Summer fruits include berries (Chipper‘s favorite!), melons, peaches, nectarines and plums. Eating fruits is apart of any healthy diet and helps reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. Dr. Oz noted a new study in the Journal of Clinical Nursing found that children who don’t like fruits and vegetables are 13 times more likely to be constipated! Not drinking enough water was also a risk factor. Fruits have a lot of water in them and are a great hydrating snack. Fruits are also very high in Vitamin C, which keeps teeth and gums healthy and your body happy!
Women should eat one and a half to two cups daily and kids over the sage of 2 should eat at least one to one and a half cups of fruit per day. If you wash some fresh, organic fruit today and cut them into bite size pieces for a snack, use left overs for a fruit salad tomorrow! Freeze extra fruits, like berries, to eat later before they go bad. “You are what you eat” is an extremely accurate quote. What you eat effects how you feel, mentally and physically, so eat good!
FRUIT Tips:
- Shop for fruits that are in season since they cost less and taste better.
- Dip cut-up fruits like apples and bananas in lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Wash fruits just before using; water can cause early spoilage.
- Eat different fruits for the greatest variety of tastes and nutrients.
Here’s a great, simple recipe to try out this summer to get some fruit in your diet:
CRUNCHY FRUIT SALAD RECIPE
- 1/4 Cantaloupe, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- 1 Large Stalk celery, sliced.
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1/4 cup reduced-fat ranch salad dressing
- Lettuce leaves
- 1 cup favorite crispy or crunchy cereal
In a medium bowl, mix cantaloupe, celery, blueberries, and dressing until blended. Cover and refrigerate. Just before serving, arrange lettuce leaves in 4 salad bowls, or on plates. Spoon fruit mixture over lettuce. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of cereal.
(Makes 4 servings; Each serving provides 111 calories, 1.6 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 2.3 grams fat, 180 milligrams sodium, 3.2 grams fiber.)
