Healthy Snacks for Kids

You've come to the right place!

Parents and children differ in their opinions of what healthy snacks for kids are. I would love an afternoon snack to be fresh veggies (carrots, broccoli, celery, mushrooms) and some ranch dressing. Or an apple with peanut butter and some crackers. My kids on the other hand want ice cream. It's milk, right?

They don't get it, of course. After much discussion and compromise, they do agree to apples, grapes, pretzels, carrots etc. I am all to happy too oblige, but these negotiations can get tiresome. And, they get tired of these snacks after a while.

If you are looking for a treat that is sweet but nutritious as well, check out my recipe below for Magic Cookie Bars.

They have:

• semi-sweet chocolate chips is a great source of antioxidants and is reported to lower blood pressure (source: WebMD)
• coconut is a good source of dietary fiber and lauric acid (source: eHow)
• walnuts are full of MUFAs (read more about MUFAs in my article: 5 Tips for a Flat Belly)

Yes, the graham cracker crumbs and condensed milk have a relatively high sugar content. They also contain fiber, protein, and calcium although in small portions. However, overall this treat is much more nutritious than the average sweet your children beg you for.

I hope you enjoy this treat as much as we do!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 package (6 oz) semi sweet chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 1/3 c. coconut flakes

Directions:

Melt the butter in a 13" x 9" pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the melted butter. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients and pressing down gently. Bake 25 - 30 minutes at 350º or until golden brown. Cool before cutting. Store covered at room temperature, do not refrigerate.

These bars will be crumbly, but they should hold their shape if you cooked them long enough. If they are soft and fall apart when you lift them out with a knife or spatula, cook them for another 2 or 3 minutes until they are more firm and brown. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk for even more nutrition!

As we all know, the price of baking ingredients has gotten very expensive. There are many ways you can save money on your baking ingredients.

1. Substitute! Don't run to the store last minute to buy one ingredient for your recipe. I keep my substitution chart handy so I can modify my recipes and save. A great example is to keep evaporated milk on hand instead of condensed milk. It's at least half the price of condensed milk and should a recipe call for condensed instead of evaporated milk, use your chart (or find the conversion on my Hub How to Convert Evaporated Milk into Condensed Milk) to create your condensed milk. It's simple!
2. Buy in Bulk! I save money buying my everyday items in larger quantities and storing them in airtight containers. I purchased a 48 oz bag of whole shelled walnuts at my warehouse store for a little more than the price of two 10 oz bags. I then use my nut chopper (see below for a picture of the one I use) and chop up my nuts for my recipes. This way I can chop them fine or coarse with the chopper or if I need big chunks, I can use a knife to chop them in half or quarters. It gives me the versatility of different size nuts without buying a bunch of bags.
3. Buy Generic! There are many ingredients like butter, sugar, and flour that will taste the same if you buy generic instead of name brand. So, why should you pay the extra money for the name brand (unless it's on sale of course). Experiment with your generic products for baking. It will save you a lot!

Try these tips - you'll be glad you did!

If you like this recipe, try my Garbage Can Cookie recipe. This is another family favorite.

Thanks for visiting my Hub. I hope you enjoy the treats!