Well, the 2011 holiday has flown past and now it’s back to school time once again. This year, I thought I would focus on some healthy delicious snacks. Here are a couple of tips for packing some great back to school snacks.
- Chick peas tossed with a little lemon juice are fun and easy to eat for the little ones. Try to cook your own. They will have better taste, texture and be lower in salt.
- Broccoli and cauliflower with a little low fat ranch dressing will keep their fingers busy during snack time. I like to blanch my broccoli and cauliflower in boiling water for five seconds and cool in ice water to remove the raw taste.
- Apple and pears make great snacks. To make it easy to eat just quarter and core them and toss in a little fresh lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Cheese and crackers are usually a big hit. Try to find whole grain crackers low in sodium.
- Carrots are a good snacking food. Be creative with how you cut the carrot. The novelty of a different shape will hold their interest.
- Don’t forget something sweet; a nice brownie or homemade fruit tart would be a nice reward for healthy snacking.
Here is a simple brownie recipe that you and your kids can try baking together.
Ingredients:
- 1 cups white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
- Melt the butter or margarine and mix all ingredients in the order given
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes in a 9 x 13 inch greased pan
- Let cool and cut into squares to serve
Chef Patrick Farrell is a graduate of the George Brown College School of Hospitality and has a varied culinary background. He is an award-winning chef having achieved international success at the Luxembourg World Culinary Championships.
< BACK
