Last Updated on February 28, 2024
Some recipes for somewhat healthy, quick treats to celebrate the new school year:
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Simple veggie dip: Light sour cream; add seasoning salt (like Lowry’s), dill, and onion powder to taste.
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Quick sandwich cookies: Layer leftover frosting between two graham crackers. (Bonus: up to five grams of whole wheat per serving of the crackers! I wonder if that makes up for the frosting …)
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Popsicles: Pour sugar-free lemonade or 100% juice into small cups, cover with foil, and poke in a popsicle stick. Freeze. If you do this while you’re packing lunches in the morning, they’ll be ready by the time the kids get home from school.
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Yogurt popsicles: equal parts yogurt and 100% juice, plus a little vanilla. Add fruit for extra nutrition. Freeze.
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Cake mix cookies: package of any flavor cake mix, an egg, 1/4 cup oil, 1/4 cup water. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. As a bonus, you can mix in raisins, M&Ms, chocolate chips, walnuts … the sky’s the limit. (Okay, this one isn’t necessarily healthy. Just easy.)
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Ants on a log: Fill pieces of celery with natural peanut butter. Add raisins or other dried fruit on top as the “ants.”
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Cracker buffet: Set out whole wheat crackers and any assortment of toppings: ham, different kinds of cheese, peanut butter, apples, dried fruit, reduced-fat cream cheese, chocolate chips, carrot or cucumber shavings, olives, etc. Encourage creative creations.
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Fruit kabobs: Just wash, cut, and skewer.
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Orange wedges: If they won’t eat them plain, add a little powdered sugar for dipping on the side.
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Banana smoothies: Blend bananas, vanilla, milk or yogurt, ice, berries (optional) and honey until smooth.
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Parfaits: Layer yogurt, granola, and fruit in a clear glass. My kids love this for breakfast, too.
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Simple trail mix: Mix together any combo of raisins, craisins, other dried fruit, nuts, seeds, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or M&Ms.
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Fruit dip: Blend reduced-fat cream cheese, vanilla, and brown sugar and white sugar to taste.
Yum! Leave your own in the comments section!
Janel Breitenstein graduated summa cum laude from John Brown University and began her career with NavPress, where she worked on The Message Bible. After having four children she resumed her professional career (around her momlife) by serving as a writer for FamilyLife. Personal loans. In January of 2012 Janel and her husband, John, packed up their family of six and moved to Uganda to serve with Engineering Ministries International (eMi), an organization that focuses on poverty relief and development, providing structural design and construction management for Christian organizations in the third world. Join us as we all learn first hand, through Janel’s posts, what it’s like to go from suburban America, to answer God’s call in Africa!
Great ideas. Thanks for sharing!