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May Snack Ideas

Try the following cool recipes as the spring heats up into summer!

Bunny Salad

Your child can have fun making this pear bunny snack.

What you need:

  • Canned pear halves – one per person
  • Lettuce leaves
  • Cottage cheese
  • Raisins
  • Carrots

What to do:

  • Place one pear half with the flat side down on a lettuce leaf.
  • Put a spoonful of cottage cheese at the rounded end for the bunny’s tail.
  • Use two raisins for the eyes.
  • For the ears, slice a small carrot length-wise into two thin slices and poke them into the front end of the pear for the ears.

Older children can make their own bunny if you give them the ingredients.

Crunchy Veggie Rounds

For a different way to enjoy vegetables, try this snack.

What you need:

  • Carrot, cucumber, and zucchini slices (cut into round slices)
  • Peanut butter, cream cheese, tuna salad, or egg salad
  • Spreader

What to do:

  • Slice the vegetables into rounds.
  • Let your child spread them with a favorite spread.

*Young children can choke on peanut butter and some vegetables, such as carrots. Supervise closely while children are eating.

Snack Sticks

This is easy and kids love them.

What you need:

  • Pretzel sticks
  • Cubes of cheese – any kind
  • Chunks of fruit such as bananas, strawberries, peaches, etc.

What to do:

  • Put the cheese cubes, fruit chunks, and pretzels in small bowls.
  • Let your child spear them with a pretzel stick.

Yummy Shake

Try this for a tasty, high-protein drink.

What you need:

  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter

What to do:

  • Put ingredients in blender and mix well.

Makes one 8-ounce serving.

Animal Cut-Outs

What you need:

  • Bread slices
  • Animal-shaped cookie cutters
  • Grated cheddar cheese

What to do:

  • Toast bread lightly.
  • Use cookie cutters to cut bread into shapes.
  • Put them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
  • Melt the cheese by putting the toast in the oven at 350 degrees F or under the broiler.

Roll Your Own Sandwich

Your child can use a rolling pin to make this variation of a sandwich.

What you need:

  • Rolling pin
  • One slice of bread per sandwich
  • Sandwich spreads such as tuna, egg salad, cream cheese and crushed pineapple, or peanut butter and mashed bananas

What to do:

  • Have your child roll a slice of bread with the rolling pin to flatten it.
  • Spread with the sandwich spread.
  • Roll bread slices up in a spiral.
  • Sandwiches can be sliced cross-wise for bite-sized pieces or eaten as is.

Creative Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Applesauce/Raisin Peanut Butter Spread

What you need:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup raisins

Dash of ground cinnamon

What to do:

Stir together peanut butter, applesauce, raisins, and cinnamon

Spread on crackers, bagels, or bread

Variations:

Banana Peanut Butter

Stir together 3/4 cup peanut butter with 1 chopped small banana

Crunchy Peanut Butter

Stir together 3/4 cup peanut butter with 1/2 cup finely chopped celery

Tropical Peanut Butter

Stir together 2/3 cup peanut butter, one 8 ounce can of drained crushed pineapple, and 1/4 cup coconut.

Apple Peanut Butter

Stir together 3/4 cup peanut butter, 1 chopped apple, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Smoothies

Peach Smoothie

Blend together one 8 ounce carton of low-fat peach yogurt with an 8 3/4 ounce can of drained peaches. Add 6 to 8 ice cubes one at a time, blending to form a slush.

Makes 3 servings.

Oreo Smoothie

Blend together 1 cup chocolate ice cream and 1/2 cup milk. Add one Oreo cookie and blend until coarsely crushed.

Makes 2 servings.

Apple Gelatin

1 heaping tablespoon of unflavored gelatin
2 Cups apple juice, 100% fruit juice
2 teaspoons sugar

Dissolve gelatin in juice. Stir until dissolved. Boil gelatin mixture and stir. If you have extra fruit you could add it to the gelatin mixture at this point (canned pears, fruit cocktail, or canned peaches work well). Pour into mold or pan and refrigerate until gelled (usually takes about 3 hours). Makes 6 servings.

Cottage Cheese and Pineapple
3/4 Cup crushed pineapple, canned
3/4 Cup cottage cheese

Drain pineapple and combine with cottage cheese.  Makes 6 servings..

Fruity Coleslaw
2 Cups shredded cabbage
1/2 Cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, canned
2 teaspoons Raisins
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

Shred cabbage and carrots and drain pineapple. Combine first four ingredient and chill. Add mayonnaise, mix, and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Fruit Shake
2 large bananas
1/2 Cup frozen sliced strawberries
1-1/2 Cups orange juice

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth. If you do not have a blender available, you can try mashing the fruit in a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid, add juice, cover, and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until time to serve. Makes 6 servings.

from The (no leftovers!) Child Care Cookbook
by Jac Lynn Dunkle and Martha Shore Edwards

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