Summer will be here soon, and that means the kids will be home all day. And though their meals are meticulously timed during the school year, somehow, their stomachs become bottomless pits during the summer months. Keep up with their appetites with these fun and (mostly) healthy snacks to avoid those expensive packaged treats.
Fruit Butterflies
Imagine the smiles on your kids’ faces when you make this butterfly-themed snack out of strawberries and bananas! Quick, nutritious, and a super cute idea for spring and summer when the butterflies are making an appearance.
Get the recipe: Cute Butterfly Snack for Kids
Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups
Who can resist a Fruit Roll-Up? They’re sweet, stretchy, chewy, and full of nostalgia. But the packaged variety is also full of sugar, corn syrup, and food dyes. Homemade fruit leather, however, is made with 3 simple ingredients: real strawberries, honey, and lemon juice. You don’t even need a food dehydrator for this version!
Get the recipe: Homemade Fruit Leather
Strawberry Banana Oat Bars
Make these fruit and oat bars as a nutritious after-school snack or a delicious breakfast on the go. Made with nutritious ingredients like natural peanut butter, fresh fruit, and rolled oats, they’re as filling as they are tasty. They also freeze well, so lighten your workload by making a double batch so you can freeze some for later.
Get the recipe: Easy Strawberry Banana Oat Bars
After School Snack Board
Dealing with practices, lessons, clubs, and sports on top of homework every evening? Prep one of these appetizing snack boards for the kids to munch on in between activities. You can personalize it with your kids’ favorite foods, but the variety of sandwiches, meats, veggies, fruits, salty snacks and sweets strikes a great balance.
Get the recipe: After School Snack Board
Frozen Yogurt Bark
High in protein, low in calories, colorful, and delicious — what more could you ask for? Great for spring and summer when the weather heats up, this cool and creamy snack will be a refreshing change of pace from the usual fare. Plus, it’s so much healthier than grabbing ice cream or a popsicle!
Get the recipe: Frozen Yogurt Bark
Strawberry Ladybugs
Ladybugs are said to bring good luck, but these will make for happy tummies, too. The adorable little bugs are made with chocolate-dipped strawberries with candy eyes and antennae. Wouldn’t they be cute for a ladybug-themed party or baby shower?
Get the recipe: Strawberry Ladybugs
Gluten-Free Copycat Cheez-Its
If you have a celiac kiddo — or even if you just want to reduce the gluten in your diet — these homemade crackers are sure to put smiles on your family’s faces. Surprisingly, you only need a handful of simple ingredients like gluten-free flour, shredded cheddar cheese, butter, and seasonings to make them.
Get the recipe: Gluten-Free Cheez-Its Copycat
Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels
Encourage kids to eat their veggies with these colorful veggie-packed pinwheel sandwiches. The ranch filling is sure to be a hit, and you can even add cooked shredded chicken if you’d like to make them more of a meal than a snack.
Get the recipe: Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels
PB & Banana Oat Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Use those bananas before they go bad! These nutritious and delicious cookies are made with four ingredients; oats, bananas, natural peanut butter, and chocolate chips (optional). They bake up in under 20 minutes and make a yummy breakfast or snack on the go.
Get the recipe: PB & Banana Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Fruit Flower Crackers
Top whole grain crackers with peanut butter (or almond butter) and your child’s favorite fruits to make these fun and colorful flower crackers. These snacks would be adorable for a tea party or spring playdate.
Get the recipe: Flower Fruit Crackers
Homemade Gummy Bears
Real strawberries, honey, gelatin, and lemon juice go into making these tasty and cute homemade gummy bears. Once you make that version, try it with different fruits (and even sneak in some veggies) for a secretly nutritious snack the kids will love.
Get the recipe: Healthy Homemade Gummies
Apple and Fruit Donuts
Core and slice and apple, and top it with your favorite yogurt, berries, and granola. This easy snack is a great option when you need to use up fruit before it goes bad, and nearly any combination you think of should be scrumptious.
Get the recipe: Apple Fruit Yogurt Donuts
PB&J Sandwich Kabobs
Pair a sweet PB&J pinwheel sandwich with fresh fruit on a skewer, and you’ve made snack time 10 times more fun. Everyone loves food on a stick! Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all yummy choices for the fruit, but banana slices or apple pieces would work, too, if you’re serving them right away.
Get the recipe: PB&J Pinwheel Sandwich Kabobs