Nosh on a Healthy Snack

Do you feel like your kids are consuming too much sugar and not enough healthy fruits, veggies and whole grains? Here are some tasty snack recipes that are not packed with lots of sugar, fat and yucky preservatives. Wahoo!

Mini Granola Bars

Yields about 8 to 10 bars

What you need:

-2 ripe bananas

-1 cup of rolled oats (quick cooking)

½ cup of all natural almond butter

-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

-¼ teaspoon of salt

-1 teaspoon of vanilla

-1/4^th cup of sunflower seeds

-½ cup of almonds (run it through the food processor to get nuts roughly chopped)

-¼ cup of dried fruit (I typically use raisins or apricots)

-¼ cup of organic dark chocolate mini chips or carob chips

Prep:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a big bowl mash down the bananas until broken down and mushy. Add in the almond butter until combined.

Slowly add in the oats, chopped almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins or chopped apricots, choc chips, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Mix well.

Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth top with knife to make sure bars cooks evenly. Bake bars for about 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Let bars cool before cutting…or you will end up with a crumbly mess. Enjoy!

Health 411

Almonds- is a great source of fiber, which is a natural cure for constipation and can help regulate bowls. Additionally, almonds contain manganese, riboflavin and copper, which is a natural energy booster. Almonds also contain the antioxidant Vitamin E, which is great for the skin.

Sunflower Seeds- is a yummy protein that is rich in Vitamin E and a good source of B-complex vitamins. Additionally, the seeds contain many of the essential minerals: Manganese, Copper, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Magnesium and Selenium. Great seed for growing bones

Crispy and Crunchy Veggie Chips

What you need:

-2 large organic sweet potatoes

-salt to taste

-2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil

-2 large carrots

Prep:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Wash and peel veggies and slice them thin with a knife. In a large bowl toss them with olive oil and salt. Place them on a baking sheet and bake between 1.5-2 hrs. Flip slices a few times to prevent them from burning. Check them often because they can burn easily. Remove chips when they are light brown and crispy.

Healthy 411

Sweet Potatoes, is a great source of many essential vitamins, that tots bodies crave. Sweet potatoes are very rich in vitamins A, C and E. Additionally it is a great source of manganese and fiber.