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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to whip up some creative treats for you and the kids. While Valentine’s Day is always associated with sweets like chocolate and candy, you can create delicious snacks for kids while still being healthy.
Valentine skewers
One way you can let kids indulge in a special Valentine’s Day treat, without losing nutritional value, is by making Fruit Skewers with Yogurt Dip. You can buy red or pink plastic skewers and then load them with strawberries, cherries, watermelon, and red seedless grapes. You can use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter for the berries and watermelon to add to the festive look. Low-fat vanilla yogurt works well as a dip and strawberry yogurt would be perfect for your theme.
Here’s another nutritious treat idea for your little Valentine’s favorites. For breakfast on this special day, make heart-shaped muffins. You also won’t need a special muffin tin. Simply fill the muffin tins with the batter and then press a piece of aluminum foil, rolled 1/2-inch thick between the muffin pan and the pan to give it a heart shape.
Here’s one that is a bit different:
Strawberry rolls
You will need: 4 (6-inch) soft tortilla shells
Low-fat strawberry cream cheese
4 tablespoons strawberry jam
Spread cream cheese evenly on each tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon of strawberry jam, spread through the center. Fold the edges of the tortilla, about two inches. Now roll the tortilla jelly roll style. Cut it into 2-inch chunks for the perfect Valentine’s Day snack.
Mini Fruit Smoothies for Valentine’s Day
Little ones enjoy fruit smoothies, so why not serve them on Valentine’s Day to show your kids how much you appreciate them, in a nutritious and tasty way? They are so easy to make that you will find yourself making a batch even when it is not a special day. Just combine a fruit mix in your blender, with a little fruit juice added for liquid. You can serve them in decorated Dixie glasses for handymen and garnish them with cocktail umbrellas for a special touch.
To keep the theme of the day, use mainly red fruits and juice. Strawberries and raspberries are great options, and you can mix bananas without changing the color scheme. Apple juice pairs well with berries for its liquid.
Jelly hearts: no sugar or dyes
Little ones love gelatin, but as a mom you get stressed out by all that sugar and artificial coloring. Try this instead for a nutritious option:
Boil 1 cup of water, add ½ cup of grape juice and 1 packet of unflavored gelatin. Stir until dissolved. After it cools down a bit, add another ½ cup of grape juice. Pour into heart-shaped molds and refrigerate until firm. If you don’t have heart-shaped molds, you can pour the gelatin mixture onto a baking sheet and then cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter once it’s set.
These treats will add some special Valentine’s Day touches for you and your kids. You can make them as a surprise or the kids can join in the fun!