Healthy Summer Snack Ideas - Including Easy Finger Foods, Foods to Take on a Picnic & Fun Kid Snacks

Healthy Summer Snack Ideas - Including Easy Finger Foods, Foods to Take on a Picnic & Fun Kid Snacks
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Plan Ahead

It is easiest to eat healthy in the summer when fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant. Always be prepared with some healthy snacks on hand in the fridge or freezer to avoid nibbling on foods that do not promote good health.

Stock the Refrigerator with Healthy Snacks

Organize the fridge after shopping and create areas for healthy snacks that are up front and very visible. Chop fruits like watermelon and cantaloupe in bulk so you always have some chopped fruit ready for a healthy snack.

Keep vegetables like celery, green beans, cauliflower, and carrots in the fridge so you always have them available to create a vegetable platter or to grab for a quick, healthy snack.

Cook Snacks at Home to Ensure they are Healthy

Make your own healthy snacks to save money and ensure the snacks are free of chemical additives that are detrimental to health. It is easy to make home-made frozen fruit pops or home-made banana muffins or carrot muffins.

Use a Blender to Create Healthy Snacks

A blender is an invaluable tool in the summer months for making smoothies out of low fat milk and fresh fruit like blueberries, kiwi, watermelon, peaches, strawberries, or mango. A blender may also be helpful to make fresh salsa out of vegetables from the garden. Salsa is great as a healthy snack when combined with a platter of fresh vegetables.

Start a Garden Swap

To ensure an ongoing flow of fruits and vegetables start a garden swap with friends and relatives. Agree to share one bag or basket of food from the garden each week. Make a list of what each person would prefer to receive from your garden and let others know of your preferences for produce too.

This project lets everyone have a wider variety of fruits and vegetables to use for summer snacks. The more diversity in one’s diet the larger the amount of nutrients available so swapping garden produce is good for health.

Creative Summer Finger Food Ideas

  • Fruit juice frozen pops

  • Frozen watermelon cubes

  • Carrot muffins

  • Frozen grapes

  • Frozen circles of honeydew and cantaloupe

  • Air popped popcorn

  • Raw cauliflower

  • Raw almonds

  • Fruit kebabs

  • Veggie kebabs

Fun Summer Snack Ideas for Kids

  • Strawberry milkshakes

  • Blueberry waffles

  • Banana muffins

  • Jell-O parfait with fresh fruit

  • Pineapple frozen ice drink

  • Celery sticks with peanut butter

  • Apple slices with peanut butter

  • Kiwi slices with grapes

  • Bowl of blueberries and milk

  • Kebab of all green foods: grapes, kiwi, green apple slices, pear slices

  • Kebab of all orange foods: peach slices, orange slices, chunks of cantaloupe

Summer Picnic Food Ideas

  • Homemade hummus and pita bread

  • Fruit salad

  • Vegetarian chili

  • Bananas, pears, and apples

  • Kiwi and mango slices

  • Jell-O with fruit

  • Pita stuffed with tuna, balsamic vinaigrette, and green beans

  • Home-made jam with freshly baked scones

  • Kebab with raw veggies: red pepper, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow pepper and dipping sauce (may use ranch salad dressing as dipping sauce)

  • Stuffed tomatoes (see recipe below)

  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

  • Apple butter sandwiches

  • Brie cheese and tomato slice in a pita

  • Fresh vegetable buffet with bowls of hummus, dips, salsa, and pita chips

Stuffed Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 8 large, ripe tomatoes

  • 1 cup rice (cooked)

  • ½ cup red pepper, finely chopped

  • ¼ cup finely shredded fresh basil

  • Bread crumbs

  • Extra virgin olive oil

  • Pine nuts (lightly toasted)

  • Grated parmesan cheese

  • One large onion, diced

  • Salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Remove tops from tomatoes. Put pine nuts into oven to toast briefly (check in a minute to make sure they do not brown).

Use spoon to remove insides from tomatoes and dump into a large bowl.

Saute onion and red pepper in olive oil and then add rice and cook for 3 minutes. Add a dash of water, tomato insides, pinch of salt and pepper, and fresh basil.

Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 9 minutes. Taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed.

Add pine nuts to the mixture and then put mixture into tomatoes. Top with breadcrumbs and add a dash of parmesan cheese then drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 60 minutes; then allow tomatoes to cool for ten minutes.