Find the time to organize healthy summer snacks to take full advantage of the lush fruits and vegetables available now. Boost your health by consuming a wide variety of healthy summer snacks.
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
AdvertisementFrozen watermelon cubes
Carrot muffins
AdvertisementFrozen grapes
Frozen circles of honeydew and cantaloupe
AdvertisementAir popped popcorn
Raw cauliflower
AdvertisementRaw almonds
Fruit kebabs
AdvertisementVeggie kebabs
Fun Summer Snack Ideas for Kids
Strawberry milkshakes
AdvertisementBlueberry waffles
Banana muffins
AdvertisementJell-O parfait with fresh fruit
Pineapple frozen ice drink
AdvertisementCelery sticks with peanut butter
Apple slices with peanut butter
AdvertisementKiwi slices with grapes
Bowl of blueberries and milk
AdvertisementKebab 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
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.
