Delicious, Affordable, and Healthy School Snack Recipes
By Elizabeth Dubos
Potato chips, cookies, and soda, OH MY! Unfortunately, these fan favorite school snacks are unhealthy because they’re high in calories, sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar. It’s easy to fall into this snack trap because nobody has hours to put into making snacks or they cannot find the right recipe for personal likes or dietary purposes. The following recipes are easy to make and involve ingredients that you probably already have in your house.
1. Apple, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip Sandwich
Things you will need:
Knife
Apple Corer (Alternatives: small circle, star cookie cutter, or knife)
Apple
Peanut Butter (Alternatives: almond or coconut butter, Nutella, strawberry jam, or caramel)
Mini Chocolate Chips (Alternatives: sprinkles, granola, raisins, blueberries, or deli turkey slices)
Instructions:
1. Depending on the size of your apple cut two or more slices.
2. Use the apple corer or the alternatives to cut the center of the apple slices out.
3. On each apple slice spread one tablespoon of peanut butter, or alternative.
4. On one apple slice, place one tablespoon of chocolate chips or alternative over the peanut butter or alternative.
5. Place the slice without chocolate chips or alternative on top to form the apple sandwich.
Note: If you or your children are not going to eat them right away, try brushing them lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
2. Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites
Things you will need:
Deli American Cheese (Alternatives: cheddar, pepper jack, provolone, or mozzarella)
Deli Ham (Alternatives: turkey, roast beef, bologna, or salami)
Small Pretzel Stick
Instructions:
1. Take a slice of American cheese and deli ham or alternatives to roll together tightly.
2. Insert small pretzel stick in the middle of the ham and cheese roll or alternatives.
Note: To add safety in lunchbox add more than one pretzel stick. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
3. Celery Snake
Things you will need:
Knife
Celery Sticks
Peanut Butter (Alternatives: almond or coconut butter, Nutella, strawberry jam, or caramel)
Green Grapes
Chocolate Chips
Strawberries (Optional)
Instructions:
1. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or alternative in the curve of the celery stick.
2. Place two chocolate chips on the end of the celery stick for eyes.
3. Place grapes behind the eyes to create a green garden snack.
Optional: To add snake tongue cut small slices of strawberries. Also, you can add remaining strawberries with grapes for additional snake colors.
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
4. Strawberry and Nutella Sushi
Things you will need:
Knife
Nutella (Alternatives: cream cheese, whipped cream, peanut butter, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry jam)
Strawberries
Whole Grain Tortillas
Instructions:
1. Cut off green stem from strawberries.
2. Cut tortillas into one inch slices.
3. Spread Nutella or alternative onto each tortilla slice.
4. Place one strawberry at end of tortilla slice and roll.
Note: To help sushi stay together in lunch boxes put a tooth pick through the middle of each sushi roll. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
5. Fruit Yogurt Bark
Things you will need:
Parchment paper
Square or rectangle sheet pan with at least one – two inch sides
Yogurt of choice: vanilla, strawberry, strawberry-banana, blueberry, peach, or black cherry
Freeze Dried Fruits (Choices: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango, or bananas)
Optional: Chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, or pieces of Oreo cookies
Instructions:
1. Line parchment paper over sheet pan.
Tip: Tape down parchment sides so it does not get in yogurt bark.
2. Spread yogurt of choice evenly throughout the pan about ½ inch.
Note: You don’t want it too thin or thick or else it won’t break easily.
3. Place freeze dried fruits & other possible choices over the yogurt spread.
4. Freeze for more than five hours to be completely frozen.
Note: Freeze time depends on size of pan.
5. After it’s completely frozen, remove the frozen fruit yogurt from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
6. Break into pieces and enjoy!
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
6. No Bake Granola Bites
Things you will need:
Two medium mixing bowls
Ice Cream Scooper
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup rice crispy cereal
1/4 cup oat bran
2/3 cup shredded coconut
Instructions:
1. In one medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. In second medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, rice crispy cereal, oat bran, and shredded coconut.
3. Place half of second mixture into first mixture to combine.
4. Repeat step 3.
Note: Putting the second mixture in halves helps evenly coat the final mixture.
5. Put final mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Note: You don’t want it frozen, only chilled and firm.
6. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and use the ice cream scoop to shape the granola bites.
7. Put granola bites back into refrigerator to retain shape for 30 minutes.
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack in an airtight container.
Edited by: Emily Chance
By Elizabeth Dubos
Potato chips, cookies, and soda, OH MY! Unfortunately, these fan favorite school snacks are unhealthy because they’re high in calories, sodium, carbohydrates, and sugar. It’s easy to fall into this snack trap because nobody has hours to put into making snacks or they cannot find the right recipe for personal likes or dietary purposes. The following recipes are easy to make and involve ingredients that you probably already have in your house.
1. Apple, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Chip Sandwich
Things you will need:
Knife
Apple Corer (Alternatives: small circle, star cookie cutter, or knife)
Apple
Peanut Butter (Alternatives: almond or coconut butter, Nutella, strawberry jam, or caramel)
Mini Chocolate Chips (Alternatives: sprinkles, granola, raisins, blueberries, or deli turkey slices)
Instructions:
1. Depending on the size of your apple cut two or more slices.
2. Use the apple corer or the alternatives to cut the center of the apple slices out.
3. On each apple slice spread one tablespoon of peanut butter, or alternative.
4. On one apple slice, place one tablespoon of chocolate chips or alternative over the peanut butter or alternative.
5. Place the slice without chocolate chips or alternative on top to form the apple sandwich.
Note: If you or your children are not going to eat them right away, try brushing them lightly with lemon juice to prevent browning. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
2. Ham & Cheese Pretzel Bites
Things you will need:
Deli American Cheese (Alternatives: cheddar, pepper jack, provolone, or mozzarella)
Deli Ham (Alternatives: turkey, roast beef, bologna, or salami)
Small Pretzel Stick
Instructions:
1. Take a slice of American cheese and deli ham or alternatives to roll together tightly.
2. Insert small pretzel stick in the middle of the ham and cheese roll or alternatives.
Note: To add safety in lunchbox add more than one pretzel stick. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
3. Celery Snake
Things you will need:
Knife
Celery Sticks
Peanut Butter (Alternatives: almond or coconut butter, Nutella, strawberry jam, or caramel)
Green Grapes
Chocolate Chips
Strawberries (Optional)
Instructions:
1. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or alternative in the curve of the celery stick.
2. Place two chocolate chips on the end of the celery stick for eyes.
3. Place grapes behind the eyes to create a green garden snack.
Optional: To add snake tongue cut small slices of strawberries. Also, you can add remaining strawberries with grapes for additional snake colors.
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
4. Strawberry and Nutella Sushi
Things you will need:
Knife
Nutella (Alternatives: cream cheese, whipped cream, peanut butter, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry jam)
Strawberries
Whole Grain Tortillas
Instructions:
1. Cut off green stem from strawberries.
2. Cut tortillas into one inch slices.
3. Spread Nutella or alternative onto each tortilla slice.
4. Place one strawberry at end of tortilla slice and roll.
Note: To help sushi stay together in lunch boxes put a tooth pick through the middle of each sushi roll. Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
5. Fruit Yogurt Bark
Things you will need:
Parchment paper
Square or rectangle sheet pan with at least one – two inch sides
Yogurt of choice: vanilla, strawberry, strawberry-banana, blueberry, peach, or black cherry
Freeze Dried Fruits (Choices: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, mango, or bananas)
Optional: Chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, or pieces of Oreo cookies
Instructions:
1. Line parchment paper over sheet pan.
Tip: Tape down parchment sides so it does not get in yogurt bark.
2. Spread yogurt of choice evenly throughout the pan about ½ inch.
Note: You don’t want it too thin or thick or else it won’t break easily.
3. Place freeze dried fruits & other possible choices over the yogurt spread.
4. Freeze for more than five hours to be completely frozen.
Note: Freeze time depends on size of pan.
5. After it’s completely frozen, remove the frozen fruit yogurt from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.
6. Break into pieces and enjoy!
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack.
6. No Bake Granola Bites
Things you will need:
Two medium mixing bowls
Ice Cream Scooper
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup rice crispy cereal
1/4 cup oat bran
2/3 cup shredded coconut
Instructions:
1. In one medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
2. In second medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, rice crispy cereal, oat bran, and shredded coconut.
3. Place half of second mixture into first mixture to combine.
4. Repeat step 3.
Note: Putting the second mixture in halves helps evenly coat the final mixture.
5. Put final mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Note: You don’t want it frozen, only chilled and firm.
6. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and use the ice cream scoop to shape the granola bites.
7. Put granola bites back into refrigerator to retain shape for 30 minutes.
Note: Store in the refrigerator or in a lunch box next to the ice pack in an airtight container.
Edited by: Emily Chance
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