Snack Food Recipes

[jsnv]

This summer we are spending everyday at our neighborhood pool and we're surrounded by junk food. All of the kids seem to be chowing down on chips, fries, lollipops and cookies. I have been going to Wholefoods and buying stuff like Pirate Booty and good granola bars but my grocery bill is starting to get out of control. I need some recipes for cookies or other things that I can feel good about giving my kids but also something that they really like so they don't feel like they're being deprived.

Thanks Ladies!

[nylaboo]

Check out Feeding The Whole Family. We have enjoyed all of the cookies and snacks out of there.

[newmom80]

I love the post on here that has directions for making a homemade Lara type bar - you use dates, walnuts, and whatever you want, like coconut, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. You blend the mixture in the food processor and then smoosh it into bars for a yummy treat on the go. I also made some roasted chickpeas the other day when I really needed a snack. I used beans that I had already soaked and cooked, I coated them in some seasoning (salt, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, etc), and then baked them at 425 for about 45 minutes, shaking the pan every 10-15 minutes. Yummy, and super crunchy!

Where we live, organic blueberries can be found in abundance for cheap, so I take some of them and eat them like grapes when I need a snack too. Good luck!

[Feb2003]

I'm not sure if this would appeal to your children and/or work poolside, but we love popcorn! We pop batches in coconut oil (or olive) in a 3 qt heavy pot (DH likes this size for shaking and even cooking over our gas flame, but you can experiment). Then we each "dress" it. I like melted butter, sea salt, pepper (yes! try it!), and often Parmesan or other strong, hard cheese grated on top. DH like just sea salt and pepper. DSs like sea salt and/or Parmesan.

Another snack is beef jerky, but I'm not sure that'd make them look "cool" at the pool

Also, crispy nuts are very portable and delicious.

If you search for TFish homemade granola bars there are a few recipes floating around here (or PM me and I'll look them up when we return from vacation and I'm on my PC).

Maybe some TF style oatmeal/dark chocolate chunk cookies?

Muffins? I make a cinnamon-apple muffin from Hibou's blog that soaks overnight.

Homemade Popsicles? Would they stay frozen in a cooler? We make all sorts of popsicles in our mould...leftover smoothies, Vruit (bought veggie-fruit juice) mixed with yogurt, Odwalla's superfood mixed with yogurt, stevia/cocoa powder/yogurt, herbal tea (sweeten if they'd like). We like berry flavored herbal tea ones for really hot days b/c it's really just yummy ice and it takes a while to eat/melt. We like yogurt-based popsicles for a more "edible," creamy treat.

Flavored yogurt? If popsicles won't work, you could flavor yogurt with berries and sweetener or with cocoa and sweetener and pack...a little time in the freezer wouldn't hurt

Oatmeal (or any other type) pancakes? If you have some flour in the mix it might hold together better and be portable enough for the poolside.

HTH!

[elelvee]

Read the thread below this one "5 Days Eating with Relatives".

Your favorite hard cheese

Any nuts (doesn't have to be organic)

Chips or crackers (must be organic) I keep writing down this terrific brand of crackers and not having it at a time like now. It's one that might be at an organic store, but not every organic store KWIM?

I think jerky is Cool. At a beach anyway, tho not a pool.

Once in a while sweet snacks are not bad. Those very small suckers like Dum pops? If it isn't aspartame-flavored and you're OK with one bad food, it can be a tiny sucker.

[NoTiGG]

Pemmican > Jerky!

[krankedyann]

My website, cookingTF.com has a gob of recipes for snacks, and be sure to check the 'kids' section for a lot more ideas.

Here's the recipes for the Laura-type Bars. This originally came across the TF-kids yahoo group.


For each, blend in food processor until dough-like. If it's too dry, add a little water 1 tsp at a time. Press into an 8x8 pan. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 pieces. Wrap in saran wrap if desired.

Cinnamon roll
1 c. dates
1/4 c. Walnuts
1/4 c. almonds
1/8 c. cashews
7/8 tsp cinnamon
5 TBS raisins

Ginger Snap
1 c. dates
1/4 c. almonds
1/4 c. pecans
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/16 tsp cloves

Chocolate Coconut
1 c. dates
1/4 c. almonds
1/4 c. walnuts
2 TBS coconut
½ TBS + ½ tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp water

LARABAR FLAVORS & INGREDIENTS
Lemon - dates, almonds, cashews, lemon juice, lemon flavor
Apple Pie - dates, walnuts, unsweetened apples, almonds, raisin, cinnamon
Cinnamon Roll - dates, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cashews, cinnamon,
Ginger Snap - Dates, almonds, pecans, ginger, cinnamon, cloves
Cocoa Mole - Dates, almonds, walnuts, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder
Pecan Pie - dates, pecans, almonds
Chocolate coconut - dates, almonds, walnuts, coconut, cocoa powder
Cherry Pie - dates, almonds, dried cherries
Cashew cookie - cashews, dates
banana cookie - almonds, dates, unsweetened bananas

OTHER IDEAS:
Tropical flavor - pineapple banana & coconut
Apricot flavor - dried apricots
Orange - dates, almonds, cashews, orange juice, orange flavor
Cherry chocolate - dried cherries, cocoa, almonds
Carob Fudge – carob, almonds

[HypnoMama]

Peanut Butter balls-

I have no idea of the exact quantities so these are approximate.

1 cup peanut butter - crunchy or smooth depending on your preference
1/4 - 1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, sesame seeds

Mix it all together and form into balls. Chill or leave at room temp. You may have to adjust the oat amount depending on how firm or not you want. Sometimes I mix half nutella and half peanut butter, or a couple tsps of cocoa powder in.

[westcoastmom]

We have been making homemade fruit bars. There is tons of fresh fruit at the farmer's markets.

We also like dehydrated fruit snacks.

[Feb2003]

Originally Posted by NoTiGG

Pemmican > Jerky!

Care to share a recipe???

[Taedareth]

Here's a pemmican recipe: http://breadandmoney.com/docs/pemmican2006.html

[Feb2003]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

Here's a pemmican recipe: http://breadandmoney.com/docs/pemmican2006.html

thanks!!

[Woodland]

yum i just made the pb oat balls, sooooo yummy!