As Austin gets older, I have more and more trouble finding easy and healthy recipes to whip up in a pinch. And to add to that, I recently noticed that he is much more interested in his food when the meal he’s eating is playful and fun (I’m sure most of you mamas can relate!).
Scroll down for some of my favorite healthy lunch ideas for the littles in your life! They’re so good, you’re going to want some for yourself, too.
Ants On A Log
Recipe Via Blissfully Domestic
Ingredients:
celery, cleaned and trimmed
creamy peanut butter
raisins
How-To:
Make sure your celery stalks are dry.
Prepare your peanut butter by placing some in a ziplock bag with a small hole cut out of one end.
Squeeze a line of peanut butter along the inside of your celery.
Place raisins along the peanut butter line.
Serve and enjoy!
Crispy Apple-Wiches
Recipe excepted from Best Lunch Box Ever by Katie Sullivan Morford
Ingredients:
1 large apple
1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp peanut, tree nut, or seed butter
2 Tbsp granola
How-To:
Use an apple corer or melon baller to remove the apple’s core.
Cut half an inch off the top and bottom of the apple.
Cut apple crosswise into four 1/2-inch-thick slices. They will look like bagels with holes in the center.
Rub the cut side of the lemon over both sides of the apple slices to keep them from browning.
Spread peanut butter on two of the apple slices.
Sprinkle granola over the peanut butter.
Top with remaining apple slices.
Makes two crispy apple-wiches.
Sweet Potato Banana Bites
Recipe via The Lean Green Bean
Ingredients:
1/2 c cooked, mashed sweet potato (approx 1 medium)
1/2 cup mashed banana (approx 1 medium)
1/4 c nut butter
2 eggs
cinnamon, to taste
Optional mix-ins: dark chocolate chips, fruit, chia seeds, etc
How-To:
Smash the sweet potato and banana together in a small bowl.
Add the peanut butter, eggs and cinnamon & mix well.
Stir in any additional mix-ins and spoon into greased mini muffin tins.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes.
Notes
You could also try subbing another pureed fruit like applesauce in these. In my experience they’re a bit less sweet but still good.
You can also add a splash of vanilla extract for more flavor if desired!
Homemade Go-Gurt-Like Yogurt Sticks
Recipe via Live Simply
Ingredients
Strawberry:
½ – 1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup whole milk yogurt
1 TB cold soluble grass-fed gelatin (where to buy)
optional: raw honey to taste if your child is used to traditional Go-Gurt
Blueberry:
½ – 1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup whole yogurt
1 TB cold soluable grass-fed gelatin
optional: raw honey to taste if your child is used to traditional Go-Gurt
Pear:
1 small, ripe pear
½ ripe avocado
1 cup whole milk yogurt
Juice of ½ lemon (do NOT leave this out – it keeps the avocado from browning – it really doesn’t make it very tart at all since the pear is so sweet)
1 TB cold soluble grass-fed gelatin
optional: raw honey to taste if your child is used to traditional Go-Gurt
Extra Materials:
Yogurt Sticks, reusable or disposable
How-To:
In a blender or food processor, blend the fruit, yogurt, gelatin, and honey (if desired). Use a small funnel to pour the yogurt into the yogurt sticks. Keep in the fridge or freeze until desired.
Apple + Cheddar + Ham Rolls
Recipe Via Babble
Ingredients:
1 Granny Smith Apple
3 Slices of low sodium, no added hormone ham
cheddar cheese
Toothpicks
How-To:
Cut the apple into thin slices (less than 1/4 inch), cut the cheddar into thin slices, and cut the ham slices in half. Place an apple slice out top of the cheddar and wrap with ham, hold in place with a toothpick. Snack is served! Really, it’s that simple.
Do you have any go-to healthy snack recipes? I’d love to have some more to choose from!
