5 Healthy Summer Snacks

Around here we mainly spend long summer days outdoors at the park, beach, pool, or out at the river. Whether I’m with my kids or riding solo, I like to keep healthy snacks with me. Keeping them on hand helps ensure that I have a healthy choice to grab whenever I’m hungry. Fruits and veggies are always a good choice when it comes to healthy kids’ snacks, but sometimes they want something extra. Unfortunately finding snacks with healthy ingredients and real food that kids actually enjoy can at times be a challenge. That’s why I like to make most of my snacks at home. For the most part, they are also very easy to pack and take with me out on outings.

So today I’m sharing a list of my favorite healthy summer snacks that also happen to be kid-friendly. I like to keep these stocked at home in the refrigerator or pantry at all times.

Healthy Summer Snacks

Fruit Salad

This is definitely on the top of my list of summer snack ideas. A fruit salad doesn’t really need an introduction or explanation. It’s a perfect snack on a hot summer day. Especially if it’s a day spent at the beach or by the pool. Instead of chopped up in a bowl you can put the fresh fruit on skewers and make some fruit kabobs. I like to keep a large bowl of fruit salad in the fridge so the kids can easily get some out when they want. Just keep it in an airtight container and it will stay fresh for a few days.

Hummus and Veggies

This is one of my healthy snack ideas that’s a win for both parents and kids. It’s an easy snack and a good choice for when you’re actually hungry. Although it’s light, it’s very filling and you’ll get some protein as well as lots of vegetables eaten. And lastly, since kids love to dip their food in sauces and spreads, this snack option will usually do the trick nicely.

My two favorite brands are Hope Foods Organic Original Recipe Hummus and Roots Hummus Original. Whether it’s with veggie sticks or chips, we go through lots of hummus around my house.

Kale Chips

I love kale chips whether they’re store-bought or made at home. But since they are so easy to make and store bought kale chips are pretty expensive I’d rather just make them at home. The basics of making them are the same, however, you can easily add different spices to create your favorite flavor. Here’s how I generally do it.

• 1 bunch of curly kale

• Olive oil

• Nutritional yeast

• Sea Salt

• Black pepper

• Chef’s Shake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the kale in cold water and then pat it dry with a paper towel.
3. Remove the thick part of the middle stem with a sharp knife, while trying to keep the kale leaves as big as possible.
4. Place the kale in a large bowl and lightly coat it with olve oil. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and chef’s shake, then the nutritional yeast. Add as much nutritional yeast as you like if you really like the flavor. I’m always very generous with it when it comes to these kinds of snack recipes.
5. Lay the leaves in a single layer, slightly spaced out, across a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. Check that they are crisp but not browned.

Popcorn

Anyone that knows me or who watches my IG stories on a regular basis knows popcorn is a thing in my house. It’s a light snack that you can eat a large amount of without consuming a ton of calories. I don’t really like store-bought popcorn much so I make my own on the stove almost daily.

Here’s my favorite way to do it.

• 2 Tbsp Earth Balance vegan butter

• 2/3 cup Black Jewell Gourmet Popcorn Kernels
• 1/2 tea sea salt

1. Add the Earth Balance to the Whirley Pop over medium-low heat and allow it to fully melt. Keep a close eye on it and be careful not to let it burn.
2. Pour in the popcorn kernels and then the salt. Close the lid and spin the handle slowly. Keep spinning the handle until there are no more popping sounds. Remove from the heat and you’re done!

Because the popcorn was coated and cooked in the Earth Balance butter, I find that it really isn’t necessary to add more butter after it’s cooked.

Xx Monti