Save Serious Time this Summer with these Healthy Snack Ideas!

Post contributed by Emily Fitzgerald, MScFN, RD

The school year is coming to an end, and you know what that means…summer vacation! With pool parties, days at the park, and summer camps just on the horizon, it can be tricky to find time to come up with nutritious snack ideas for the kids. To give you a bit of a leg-up on the season, we’ve come up with a list of fun, kid-friendly summertime snack ideas you can whip up anytime!

Something Cold

Frozen Yogurt Pops: One of the easiest ideas on the list – all you need is yogurt cups (any flavour!) and popsicle sticks.  Simply cut a small slit in the top of the yogurt cup, slide the popsicle stick in and freeze! If you want to go a step further you can buy small paper cups or a reusable popsicle mold and mix the yogurt with toppings like fresh fruit or granola. Freeze until solid, and serve on a nice warm day!

Banana Pops: Another simple way to make popsicles at home! Cut a banana in half (width-wise) and put a popsicle stick through one end. Roll your bananas in a sticky topping like yogurt, peanut butter, or melted chocolate, and then roll them in additional toppings like chopped nuts, chocolate chips, or sprinkles. Freeze on a tray until solid and you’re ready to go!

Something Crunchy

Homemade Popcorn: All you need to do here is add your seasonings! Air pop enough popcorn for everyone and then let each person customize theirs with the seasoning they like best.  You could use a store-bought seasoning or make your own using ingredients like chili powder and Parmesan cheese or cinnamon and cocoa powder.

DIY Trail Mix: This is a must-have on the road; it’s easy and portable whether you’re traveling by plane, car, bike, or anything else! Our ideal trail mix would involve a protein source like nuts or dried chickpeas, something sweet like dried fruit or dark chocolate chips, and something salty like pretzels or salted sunflower seeds. Hey, you could even throw in some of your leftover popcorn!

Something Sweet

Chocolate hummus: Hummus is so much more versatile than we give it credit for! It packs in some good protein, fats and fibre, which makes it a great snack to keep you going on your busy summer days. Check out this recipe or keep an eye out for it at your local grocery store!

Energy Bites: These are yet another easy option to bring along with you for a day out and about. Here is a recipe from our blog to get you started, as it’s very easily customizable to what flavours you like.

Happy snacking!

Emily