My two kids are snack lovers. When they’re too full for lunch or dinner, they often find themselves hungry for a snack five minutes later. Sound familiar? It’s a daily occurrence in my house. We use a lot of pre-packaged snacks, which are easy to pack on days out, pop into their lunch boxes, or give to them when time is tight.
But for the days that I have time on my hands – the weekends where we are just hanging out at home, or mornings where we can move a little slower – I’d like to be a mom who makes fun snacks. The one that gets them excited and involved in the preparation, doing more than just opening the pantry and letting them rummage through. While I often lack patience (and probably skill) to master up Michelin star meals, I do love seeing my kids enjoy food that I’ve put together, or better yet, that we’ve made together – despite the mess it might leave behind!
So I asked some friends – from London, across the US, and even Australia – “What are your go-tos? What do your kids love that’s quick and easy?”.
Here’s what I got:
- Nutella and Banana Roll Up – this has become a huge hit in my house.
Spread a layer of nutella on a flour tortilla wrap. Place the banana at one edge of the tortilla. Roll up firmly. Slice the tortilla into little 1-inch pieces. It can get messy, but it’s delicious! - Pita and Hummus – could substitute pita for pretzels or breadsticks.
Toast pita bread (we love whole wheat pita) and cut into strips. Serve with a side of hummus for dipping. Can be fun to experiment with different types of hummus, though the original is the top-seller in our house. - Fruit, Cheese and Cracker Plate – who doesn’t love this?!
You can use a sectioned plate or container. Add a few slices or cubes of cheese, any available fruit (e.g. strawberries, grapes, apples) and a side of crackers. - Veggie Sticks and Dip – a good way to get some veg in.
Carrots, cucumbers, celery, broccoli florets – slice or dice, and serve with a side of dip. Ranch is the family favorite over here. - Pinwheels – so many ways to experiment here!
My go-to is usually cream cheese (spread it across a flour tortilla), add some sliced turkey and roll up. Cut into slices and serve. We’ve tried out both flour and wheat tortillas and most recently, spinach ones, which we call monster tortillas – the kids love them! Other options could include pesto and cheese, or cheese and pepperoni. - Peanut Butter Rice Cakes – another sticky one, but can be so much fun.
Spread a layer of peanut butter on an unsalted rice cake. Decorate with banana slices, blueberries, strawberries, chocolate chips, sprinkles etc. I’m excited to try this, with two sliced bananas for eyes and a blueberry smile. - Chocolate No Bake Peanut Butter Balls – I think I enjoy these, more so than the kids!
Mix 1 cup old fashioned oats, with ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup), ¼ cup peanut butter, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in a bowl, until you get a dough consistency. Use a tablespoon to scoop out dough and roll to form balls. Can be eaten straight away, but I personally like them after they’ve been in the fridge for a little while! - Celery, Peanut Butter and Raisin “Ants on a Log” – this came up a few times as a favorite from friends across the globe. I’m not a big celery fan, but am excited to try this out with my little ones now!
Fill celery stalks with peanut butter and add raisins as ants – easy! Can also be fun to mix around with a few other variations, e.g. swap the celery for cucumber, carrot, sliced banana, even an apple. Instead of peanut butter, depending on the “log”, you could try cream cheese, hummus, yogurt, nutella. And the “ants” could be berries, sweetcorn, olives, chopped nuts, chocolate chips. - Filled Crescent Rolls – extremely delicious.
Crescent rolls are delicious as-is, but we have been experimenting with different fillings and it’s a great one to get the kids involved in adding the filling and rolling them up. We usually use Pillsbury, but have tried alternative brands too, like Annie’s, or a store brand. Place the dough on a baking tray, and then drop your chosen ingredient in the middle – you don’t need a lot. The first filling we tried was nutella (yes, we are big nutella fans). Other favorites include cheese and jam (jelly). On our list is to try adding some pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni for pizza crescent rolls. Roll up into a crescent (mine are never perfect, but they still taste really good). Follow directions on the package for oven settings and times. - Yogurt Ice Cream Pops – perfect for the heat of the Summer! You’ll need a popsicle mold for this, but could also make these in an ice cube tray (might just be harder to eat!).
Mix yogurt with some blueberries and honey (can skip the honey for kiddos under one). Add into mold or ice cube tray. Freeze for a couple of hours. Enjoy on a hot day!
Caution: May need kids with patience to wait for the yogurt to freeze. This has led to many “is it done yet?” moments, which have lasted over two hours.
I hope you’re excited to try some of these, I definitely am! Comment on your favorite, or share your go-tos, I’d love to hear.
