If you are a family on-the-go, It can be hard to find snacks that will satisfy picky eaters without destroying their teeth. These five snacks are sure to make everyone happy and, they happy to be nice for the wallet too.
Dinosaur Chips- Every time dinosaurs are brought into pop culture they engage the imagination of children everywhere. The great thing about this recipe is that you can make the shape into whatever your child loves… horses, butterflies, kitties, and more. All you need is tortillas, cookie cutter is the fun shape you want, salt (optional), a cookie sheet, and vegetable oil.
First, pre-heat your oven to 400. Take out the tortillas and brush both sides with vegetable oil. Then, using the cookie cutters, cut the shapes out of the tortillas. Place the tortillas on a baking sheet and let them cook for 10-12 minutes, until they reach a golden brown. Once they cool, bag the chips and you have a fun time snack for the road.
Trail Mix- The wonderful thing about trail mix is that you can put anything you want into it. The version below is low in sugar and high in vitamins that are teeth friendly. Some of the items can be substituted according to your child’s tastes.
Mix together ½ cup of each of the following: unshelled sunflower seeds, unsweetened dried-raisins, unsweetened dried cranberries, dried banana chips, peanuts, cashews, and Macadamia nuts. Divide among several bags and store the others for later use.
Veggies- Though celery sticks and carrot sticks are the default veggies used, do not be so limiting. A tub full of broccoli, celery, peppers, and carrots with a little container of ranch will keep little mouths busy, for a while at least.
You can use any vegetables you want for this, just keep in mind that some foods are messier than others. For each child, you will want to cut up two carrots, one head of broccoli, two sweet peppers,and two celery plants. It only keeps for a few days once cut so avoid making a weeks worth all at once. Still, if you keep one of these pre-made tubs in your fridge, you have a prepared snack for those last minute road trips.
String Cheese- So this is something most of us can’t make ourselves, but the cheese is loaded with calcium, which is great for teeth. Look for a brand that lists milk as the first ingredient. To use, all you do is open, hand it to your little one and watch the fun begin.
Buttery Onion Pretzels- The windy breaded snack is fun on its own, but when you add tasty flavoring pretzels get kicked up a notch. This snack is easy to make and can be made in advance. You will need: 1 ¼ cups margarine or butter, 1 package of dry onion soup mix, and about 16 oz of crunchy pretzels. Break the pretzels into pieces.
Start by melting the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Once it is melted, stir in the soup mix. Add the pretzel pieces. Toss the pieces so they get coated with the butter-soup mixture. Bake in the oven for 90 minutes at 250 degrees. Be sure to stir every 15 minutes. Once they cool, put them in containers for easy travel.
These snacks will keep kids happy, mom and dad happy, and make your wallet happy. They will also keep your dentist happy when your child has less cavities at their check-up.
Copyright Dr. Jean-Jacques Edderai -2015