Harvest time brings a bounty of fresh produce that can be used to create healthy and entertaining snacks for your preschooler. Serving harvest foods can also help you teach your child about seasons and where food comes from. Include your preschooler in the snack preparation, and she is more likely to eat the nutritious snack as well as have an entertaining time learning about harvest foods.
Apple Smiles
There are many varieties of apples, so it is likely you can find a kind that your child enjoys. Amy Wilensky notes in her book "Knack Healthy Snacks for Kids: Recipes for Nutritious Bites at Home or On the Go," that apples are a common harvest food and supply nutrition. Eating an apple will supply your child with fiber and vitamin C. To make a smile, slice an apple in quarters and remove the core. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on one apple and press raisins into the peanut butter to be the teeth. Place another apple slice on top and serve.
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Pumpkin is another common harvest food that is rich in beta-carotene and fiber. Making mini pumpkin pies is one way to incorporate pumpkin into your child's diet, Mike Artell and Pam Schiller note in their book, "Parties Kids Love: Great New Party Ideas for Birthdays, Holidays, Or Just Fun." Start by crushing a whole-grain, plain graham cracker into a small bowl. Combine canned pumpkin with cinnamon, ginger and cloves and place on top of the graham crackers. Warm in the oven or microwave and drizzle with honey before serving for an extra dose of anti-oxidants -- but remember not to give anything with honey to babies under 12 months.
Pumpkin Shaped Apple Sandwiches
Using shaped cookie cutters is a simple way to serve holiday snacks that are entertaining and enticing to children. Use whole wheat bread for a boost of fiber, and spread with peanut butter or layer with low-fat cheddar cheese slices. Lay thinly sliced apples on the peanut butter or cheese and top with another piece of bread. Use a large pumpkin shaped cookie cutter to cut the sandwich into a pumpkin shape. Serve the outside of the sandwich as well, and encourage children to put it back together like a puzzle.
Apple Slices with Spiced Pumpkin Yogurt
Combining apples and pumpkins will give your preschooler a taste of harvest time in one nutritious and filling snack. Combine plain low-fat yogurt with pureed pumpkin and cinnamon. Slice red and green apples into thin slices and serve with the yogurt for dipping. An alternate way to prepare this snack is to chop the apples into small pieces and stir into the yogurt. The apples and pumpkin supply fiber, vitamin C and beta-carotene, and the yogurt supplies calcium and protein.
References
- "Knack Healthy Snacks for Kids: Recipes for Nutritious Bites at Home Or On the Go"; Amy Wilensky; 2010
- "Parties Kids Love: Great New Party Ideas for Birthdays, Holidays, Or Just Fun"; Mike Artell and Pam Schiller; 1996
Member Comments