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Mothers of School-Age Children

Healthy Eating

Snacks

Great snacks for the whole family.

  • Yogurt tubes can be frozen as well as refrigerated. These make great cool treats in the heat of the summer.
  • Cheese cubes (or if the budget allows, cheese strings) with some whole-wheat crackers can be thrown in a backpack for a snack later in the day or eaten as part of breakfast on the run. Your child will be getting a great source of calcium and protein, fuelling up and enjoying their snack at the same time.
  • Homemade trail mix is also great for a grab and go snack. Why not throw some sunflower seeds, almonds or cashews, raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruit together. Keep it in an airtight container where the kids can crab some to put in travel container for later in the day. Much better than a bag of chips!
  • Granola bars can also be good. You just have read the labels and make sure the ones you’re buying aren’t all sugar and saturated fat.
  • Go to www.healthyeatingisinstore.ca for information on labels and the information they contain.
  • peanut butter (or other nut butter) and wholewheat crackers
  • fresh fruit is always good especially when served with a yogurt dip
  • smoothies made with yogurt, fortified soy beverages or milk and fresh or frozen fruit, try this out.
    1 cup vanilla fortified soy beverage
    1½ oz cubed tofu (extra protein)
    1 banana
    ½ teaspoon vanilla
    1 tbsp. Honey (or sugar)
    10 ice cubes
    Blend all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Smoothies are a great way to fill your child with those extra nutrients and calories that they need to get them through the day. You can make it in advance and put it in a thermos to keep chilled through the day.

More snack ideas...

  • raw vegetables
  • homemade mini pizzas: whole-wheat bagels, pizza sauce, shredded cheese
  • individual tins of fruit salad or other fruit such as mandarin oranges, pears, peaches; these pack in a school bag easily and kids love them
  • peanut butter on sliced apples, crackers, toast, etc
  • cheese on apple slices, crackers
  • humus in mini pitas
  • peanut butter and banana sandwich
  • macaroni and cheese served with cherry tomatoes or baby carrots
  • fresh fruit cut into bite sized pieces (small pieces work especially well for preschoolers)
  • soft boiled eggs with “soldiers” (whole-wheat toast cut into strips), small children loving dipping
  • wraps filled with veggies and ham or peanut butter; be sure to cut the wraps up into finger food size pieces for the preschooler set.
  • homemade cookies and treats...Check out these recipes!

BROWN-BROWN BROWNIES
Recipe from the Canola Council of Canada; check out the website for more great recipes and useful information at www.canola-council.org.
Makes 12 brownies

  1. 2 eggs or 4 egg whites
  2. ½ cup canola oil 125 mL
  3. ½ tsp vanilla 5 mL
  4. 1 1/3 cups sugar 325 mL
  5. ½ cup cocoa 125 mL
  6. 1 1/4 cups flour 300 mL
  7. 1/4 tsp salt 1 mL
  8. ½ cup raisins 125 mL
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C)
  10. Place eggs in a large bowl. Whip until frothy. Add canola oil and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Stir in sugar and cocoa. Mix well. Stir in flour and salt until blended. Add raisins. Batter will be very thick.
  11. Pour into well-oiled 9" x 9" (2.5 L) cake pan. Bake for twenty-five to thirty minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Per serving:
Energy: 257 calories/1,080 kilojoules Carbohydrate: 39 g Potassium: 101 mg
Protein: 3.2 g Dietary Fibre: 1.9 g Iron: 1.2 mg
Total Fat: 11 g Sodium: 86 mg Calcium: 15 mg

BANANA NUT MUFFINS
Recipe taken from Chef in Your BackPack, Nicole Basset, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2003

  1. 2 cups whole-wheat flour
  2. 1 tbsp baking powder
  3. ½ tsp salt
  4. ½ cup honey
  5. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  6. 2 eggs, beaten
  7. 2/3 cup skim or soy milk
  8. 1 ½ cups bananas, mashed
  9. ½ cup walnuts, chopped
  10. Preheat oven to 400°
  11. Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups.
  12. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a bowl, combine the honey, oil, eggs, milk and bananas and then mix into flour mixture with a couple of swift strokes. Fold in the nuts.
  13. Pour mixture into muffins pan until about 3/4 full.
  14. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown on top, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool and store in an airtight container.

Makes 12 muffins.

CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Recipe taken from Chef in Your Backpack, Nicole Bassett, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2003

  1. 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  2. 1 tsp baking soda
  3. ½ tsp salt
  4. 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  5. 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
  6. 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  7. ½ cup white sugar
  8. 2 tsp vanilla extract
  9. 2 eggs
  10. 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
In a large bowl, cream the margarine and brown sugar together. Add the white sugar and mix, then the vanilla, the eggs and mix until smooth. Slowly add the flour and mix until absorbed.
Add the chocolate chips.
Spoon mixture onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies are golden brown.
Remove to wire rack and let cool.
Makes 24 cookies.