Add Imagination to Snacktime With These Tasty Ideas

Fed up with fruit snacks? Even though your kids will never get enough, you might be wishing there was a little more variety in their diets. 

But feeding kids perfectly balanced meals can be exhausting, especially if you have a toddler that has somehow eaten his third breakfast by 10 a.m. Your kids’ little bodies are constantly burning energy as they play and grow. It’s hard to keep up with such demanding metabolisms. 

To make life easier, you probably have a pantry full of predictable snack options–goldfish crackers, applesauce pouches, and granola bars. And there’s nothing wrong with that! However, we know the snack burnout is real. 

We also know there are so many imaginative snack ideas out there that are more fun and nutrient dense than crackers.

With a little extra effort, your kids will look forward to getting creative with you in the kitchen as you dream up new snack ideas. The kitchen is a great place to connect with your kids and empower their imaginations. 

Ready to put your creativity in the kitchen to the test? Here are a few creative snack ideas that will get your wheels turning! 

Fruit & Vegetable Bugs

Make a cute and crawly craft you can munch on! Turn ordinary celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes into adorable Fruit & Vegetable Bugs to ignite their imaginations and taste buds. These snacks are made even tastier with peanut butter or cream cheese to put it all together. 

In this case, we totally recommend playing with your food. Once you’ve made your creepy critter, let them crawl across, or fly over, the counter before taking a bite. Turning food into art engages kids with their food in new and exciting ways. For the complete recipe and step-by-step instructions, check out Ilovevegan.com.

Mini Winnie the Pooh Pizzas

When it’s snack time, Winnie the Pooh isn’t stuffed with fluff. He’s topped with cheese, pizza sauce, and a black olive nose. 

What we love most about Mini Winnie the Pooh Pizzas is you don’t have to fuss with flour, proofing the dough, and making your kitchen a mess. Instead, buy premade pizza dough in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. Adding in prep and baking time, this snack takes no more than 15 minutes to make. 

Winnie the Pooh pizzas aren’t just adorable, they’re the perfect way to sneak a few more vegetables into your kids’ diets. Go ahead and hide some diced peppers under that mozzarella. Bring a touch of Hundred Acre Wood magic to your kitchen with a snack your kids will love as much as Pooh loves honey. 

Frozen Banana Pops

Whether it’s the middle of August or middle of January, Healthy Frozen Banana Pops are always a hit. Frozen bananas, whole or mashed, taste surprisingly like cool and creamy ice cream. So, of course, they’re an incredible dessert dupe for your littles. Frozen bananas taste amazing on their own, but you can make them extra fun and delicious by dipping them in yogurt and adding colorful sprinkles.

Simply put half of a banana on a craft stick, dip in yogurt, roll in sprinkles, and pop in the freezer until the banana has chilled all the way through. And good news for parents–they’re not as messy as traditional popsicles and ice cream treats. Plus, banana pops are packed with way more nutrition; so they’re good for your body and taste buds.

These treats are so easy to make your kids can do it on their own–with a little help from you, of course. Discover the recipe and freeze up some fruity fun.

Discover More Ideas on Our "Kid Eats!" Pinterest Board

The world of kids' snacks is bursting with creativity, and our "Kid Eats!" Pinterest board is full of the best ideas we’ve seen. With dozens of ideas ranging from playful presentations to nutritious twists on classic favorites, you'll never run out of exciting options to fuel your littles’ appetites. 

Incorporating nutritious food into your kids' diets doesn’t have to be a chore. These out-of-the-box snack ideas not only make eating an adventure, they encourage a positive relationship with healthy foods. 

So, roll up your sleeves, gather your little chefs, and bring playtime to your kitchen.