SNACKS!!!!!

Snacks can be one of the most entertaining things we can consume in our day-to-day lives. They are usually the most crunchy, salty, sweet, colorful, beautifully packaged food of our day. We eat the candy bar as a midday pick me up. We snack on the chips after school or work in front of the television and we eat the popcorn late at night when the kids are asleep on the couch cozy and warm.

Yet, as we all know, most if not all of these snacks are also some of the worst things we put into our bodies. I am in no way trying to create diet blog or preach diet living. No in fact, I hate the word diet. I think it does nothing but contribute to the obesity problem. I just want to address the simple fact that we can be making amazing snacks on our own, even more colorful than the shiny packaging that your kids eat after school. It takes no time at all to create snacks and in fact, there is a good chance that your children will take the reigns on this one and start to put together their own snacks for the week.

Here are some of Millie’s favorite snacks (snackums as she calls them). Check it out and see if this does not make a huge difference in the way your kids perform and act. That saying, “food is fuel for the brain” is no joke.

Enjoy and cheers!

Fruit salad and granola:

• 1 apple diced
• 1 kiwi diced
• 1 orange sliced into half moons
• Handful of dried cranberries
• ¼ cup of plain granola

Mix into bowl for an afternoon snack that will feed at least three hungry little ones after school or for whenever!

Cheerio Trail Mix:

·         1 cup cheerios (which ever flavor your kids like the best)

·         Handful of raisins

·         ¼ cup of mini dark chocolate chips

·         1 tsp of pumpkin spice or cinnamon and nutmeg

Mix and serve. Will keep for a week and is great in lunch boxes, in the car or for whenever your little one is wanting a little munch.

Mini pizzas:

• 1 package of mini pitas
• 1 package of fresh organic spinach
• 1 roma tomato
• Italian blend cheese
• Tomato paste
• 1 tbsp of oregano
• ½ can of black olives
• Drizzle of olive oil

Place min pitas on baking sheet. Spread a little tomato paste over pita then sprinkle your oregano on top of the tomato paste. Place cheese, spinach, tomato and then olives in the order you find desirable. Drizzle olive oil over the baking sheet and mini pitas for added moisture. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes. I prefer the cheese to go on the top so you can have a nice golden brown crust.

Serve after school to a hungry group of soccer players or to your family during the big football game. Or just whenever the mood strikes. No need for sports references I guess.

These are some of my favorite snacks that take no time at all, are very cost affective and give a punch of flavor to your average midday snack. I hope that you will try it and see the difference it makes when you get into the kitchen, get creative and involve your kids in the snack making process.

A nice thing to remember… if it is sold in a gas station, go ahead and avoid it.

Cheers!