Snack time for kids automatically translates to fun food time. But as a parent, you should make sure the fun element should be always backed by solid nutrition. This is especially important in terms of after school snacks as you want to keep them energetic until dinner is served.
Here are some lip-smacking and healthy snack ideas for kids, that you can easily incorporate in their daily after school meal time so that they remain strong as well as happy.
Vegetable mini muffins
A batch of freshly baked muffins, but with a savory twist is something your kids will surely be curious about. You can incorporate veggies like broccoli, capsicum, zucchini, corn kernels, carrots, spinach, etc. along with two eggs, all-purpose flour, salt pepper and herbs in your muffin batter. Don’t forget to add some cheese as well. Then scoop the prepared batter into a buttered muffin pan and bake them for around twenty minutes.
Oatmeal cookies
Oatmeal cookies are healthy and quick. And you can include several other ingredients in the cookie batter to make it more fun. You can add different kinds of vegetables, fruits, nuts and dry fruits to give it a distinctive taste. Also, make sure that you use a natural sweetener like honey instead of sugar. Usually, these cookies can be easily made under forty minutes.
Peanut butter and jam sandwich
The classic peanut butter and jam sandwich are a quick and delectable after school snack fix. To make it a healthier option for kids you can make a few changes in your ingredients. For example, bake a whole grain bread, if you don’t have enough time, buy it from a local artisan bakery. Use organic peanut butter and jam products that have low sugar content. You could also make your own jam if you like. Add some fresh fruits like bananas or raspberries in the peanut butter sandwich if you don’t have a jam.
Sugar-free granola
The nutty and crunchy and the wonderfully saccharine sugar-free granola is a recipe that your kids will love no matter what. Either use wholesome oats or crumbly coconut flakes. You can whip this recipe together with the kids, with their choice of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Combine all these ingredients in a bowl with coconut oil or butter. The flavor of the snack can be enhanced by adding fruit juices or syrups.
Macaroni and cheese
Rather than the monotonous mac and cheese from the box, you can whip this super easy recipe at home. You can give it a different angle to your mac and cheese by adding broccoli florets, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, or butternut squash. You can even bake these as mini muffins.
We are a coffee-drinking nation and every form of the beverage – decaf, regular, expresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and ristretto is consumed everyday by millions of us. It’s the first thing we need in the morning and the last (for some) after dessert. Black, with cream, with sugar, no sugar, flavored, each of us has a preference with regard to strength. Nespresso’s taken heed of this and given us a gift in a pod with the Nespresso capsules. Available in the regular Arabica and Robusta capsules, they have some amazing seasonal flavors as well.
Nespresso capsules are hermetically sealed in a capsule that holds 5-7 gms of coffee – enough for one serving of coffee. They offer five ranges in Ristretto (25ml), Espresso (40 ml), Lungo (110 ml), Decaffeinated (40 ml and 110 ml) or Flavored (40 ml).
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Ristretto range are:
Ristretto Origin – Made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has toasted flavors with cocoa notes and woody undertones.
Ristretto Origin India – A blend of the finest Arabicas with a smidgen of Robusta from Southern India, this full-bodied coffee has hints of spices.
Ristretto Intenso – A strong blend of South and Central American Robustas and Arabicas, the Ristretto Intenso is a full-bodied coffee with a creamy texture and peppery notes.
The variations in Nespresso coffee capsules Espresso range are:
Espresso Origin Brazil: A pure Arabica coffee, it has a mild sweet flavor.
Espresso Leggero: A blend of South American Arabicas and Robusta, it has smooth notes of cocoa and cereal.
Espresso Forte: Exclusively made from South and Central American Arabicas, it has an intensely roasted balance of espresso and fruity notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Lungo range are:
Lungo Leggero: Lightly roasted East African, South and Central American Arabicas, with mild notes of jasmine is what makes up this delicious brew.
Lungo Forte: A complex mix of South and Central American Arabicas, this coffee has heavy roasted notes with a slight hint of fruit.
Lungo Origin Guatemala: A mix of Arabica and washed Gourmet Robusta coffee, Lungo Origin Guatemala is smooth and well balanced with dry and malty cereal notes.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules in the Decaffeinated range are:
Espresso Decaffeinato: Dark roasted South American Arabicas with a touch of Robusta enhances the cocoa flavors and roasted cereal undertones of this decaffeinated espresso.
Lungo Decaffeinato: This is a slightly more complex blend of separately roasted South American and East African Arabicas. It includes toasted cereal and sweet notes with subtle and floral hints of East African Arabicas.
The variations of Nespresso coffee capsules Flavored range are:
Espresso Vanilla: This silky-flavored coffee is the result of a base of Espresso Forte, which is a complex and heavily-roasted blend of South and Central American Arabicas and a slightly caramelized aroma of vanilla. Espresso Caramel: On a base of Espresso Forte, this complex and intensely roasted blend made from South and Central American Arabicas has the sweetness of caramel.
Here are a few easy and healthy recipe ideas that are both quick to make and light to digest on hot summer days. With very few ingredients, the preparation of these recipes is a breeze. So go on, enjoy these easy, healthy recipes that are brimming with nutrition and taste heavenly too!
Greek Cucumber Rolls
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
This is popular among easy and healthy recipes. Slice cucumber into thin flat strips using a vegetable peeler and arrange them in slices of two on a clean tray. Smear the hummus on top of each slice, then toss some feta cheese, black olives and cut tomatoes on each of the cucumber strips. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some finely chopped dill and cilantro. Finally, roll the strips, serve the Greek cucumber rolls and see them being gobbled up by the young and old alike!
Flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Directions
Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the directions on the label. In a thick bottomed pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic and shallots. After about a minute or so, add the other vegetables along with salt and toss them gently for a few minutes. The vegetables must cook and be crunchy at the same time. When they are done, add the cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground black pepper to it and mix well. Serve this flavorful fettuccine pasta with vegetables for lunch or dinner as a filling, yet light meal.
Sunshine juice
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Direction
Squeeze juice from the oranges and blend the strawberries in a juicer. Then in a pitcher, take the orange juice, strawberry juice, and chilled water together and mix well. Refresh yourself with this yummy sunshine juice with ice cubes on a hot day.