How to Make Gluten‐Free Snacks for Kids
Try sliced fruit shish-kabobs., Include dried fruit., Present colorful veggie trays., Make celery sticks fun., Beat the heat with frozen grapes., Make homemade applesauce.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Try sliced fruit shish-kabobs.
Run shish-kabob sticks through fresh fruits to create a fun snack that older children can easily eat and carry around with them.
Use smaller fruits such as berries, or slice larger fruits such as pineapples so they fit on the stick.Provided the child can eat dairy, you can add cheese to your fruit shish-kabobs as well.
Use cookie cutters or bento cutters to slice the cheese into fun shapes like hearts and stars.
Keep in mind you'll want to save this snack for older kids, not toddlers, since the sticks are pointy. -
Step 2: Include dried fruit.
Fresh fruit is always a healthy and naturally gluten-free snack, but dried fruit is equally tasty and not as messy to clean up.
Dried fruit can be eaten as a snack on its own, or mixed into gluten-free trail mixes.The fiber in dried fruit is filling, but watch the portion sizes – just a few pieces of dried fruit typically is enough, but it can be hard to gauge since they're so much smaller than fresh fruit.
A single serving is about what would fit in the palm of an adult hand.
You can buy pre-packaged dried fruit, but it may be cheaper to go to a specialty grocery or whole foods store that allows you to buy loose amounts of particular fruits by weight – especially if you want a variety of fruits to create your own mix.
You can make trail mixes sweet or savory, depending on the child's tastes and the kind of snacks you want.
Shake the ingredients in a zippered bag with spices, or spread them on a bake tray and bake them for a few minutes at low heat to seal in the flavor.
Add nuts such as almonds for an added boost of protein. , You can buy whole vegetables and cut them up yourself, or buy pre-cut vegetables or smaller sizes such as baby carrots.
Use a variety of different vegetables and the kids will be attracted to the colorful presentation.You also can cut the vegetables into fun shapes.
Look for bento box cutters (they look like cookie cutters, but they're smaller) in shops that sell cooking and food preparation supplies.
Add pieces of cheese as well, if the kids are able to eat dairy.
Use a sectioned container, or get creative and use lettuce to section off a larger tray. , If your kids turn up their noses at celery sticks, add peanut butter and raisins to create "ants on a log." While peanut butter and raisins are the traditional ingredients, you can get creative and substitute whatever your kids enjoy.You can use different types of raisins, or mix it up with dried berries such as dried blueberries or cranberries.
Almond butter or other spreads such as hummus can be used instead of peanut butter if the child has peanut allergies. , Grapes can be a quick and inexpensive gluten-free snack for kids.
They also freeze really well, and can be broken apart into individual servings and popped in the freezer for a cool treat during warmer months.Freezing grapes enhances the flavor as well as being slower to eat.
To freeze them properly, remove them from their stems and rinse them well.
From there you can portion them into small bags to freeze, or spread them out flat on a lined cookie sheet.
Other fruits are good frozen as well, such as blueberries, peaches, and strawberries. , Applesauce is a naturally gluten-free snack, but buying pre-packaged individual servings can get expensive.
If you have a crockpot and a little bit of time, you can make your own applesauce for a fraction of the cost of commercial brands.Search online for recipes and find one that suits your taste.
The good part about making your own applesauce is that you can season it to taste, or add other fruits such as cranberries or strawberries.
You also have the ability to control the consistency, so you can have chunkier applesauce if that's what the kids like.
Keep in mind that the applesauce will become sweeter as it cools, so don't make it too sweet while cooking.
Use a mix of apples to create more complex flavors, or make different varieties with specific types of apples. -
Step 3: Present colorful veggie trays.
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Step 4: Make celery sticks fun.
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Step 5: Beat the heat with frozen grapes.
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Step 6: Make homemade applesauce.
Detailed Guide
Run shish-kabob sticks through fresh fruits to create a fun snack that older children can easily eat and carry around with them.
Use smaller fruits such as berries, or slice larger fruits such as pineapples so they fit on the stick.Provided the child can eat dairy, you can add cheese to your fruit shish-kabobs as well.
Use cookie cutters or bento cutters to slice the cheese into fun shapes like hearts and stars.
Keep in mind you'll want to save this snack for older kids, not toddlers, since the sticks are pointy.
Fresh fruit is always a healthy and naturally gluten-free snack, but dried fruit is equally tasty and not as messy to clean up.
Dried fruit can be eaten as a snack on its own, or mixed into gluten-free trail mixes.The fiber in dried fruit is filling, but watch the portion sizes – just a few pieces of dried fruit typically is enough, but it can be hard to gauge since they're so much smaller than fresh fruit.
A single serving is about what would fit in the palm of an adult hand.
You can buy pre-packaged dried fruit, but it may be cheaper to go to a specialty grocery or whole foods store that allows you to buy loose amounts of particular fruits by weight – especially if you want a variety of fruits to create your own mix.
You can make trail mixes sweet or savory, depending on the child's tastes and the kind of snacks you want.
Shake the ingredients in a zippered bag with spices, or spread them on a bake tray and bake them for a few minutes at low heat to seal in the flavor.
Add nuts such as almonds for an added boost of protein. , You can buy whole vegetables and cut them up yourself, or buy pre-cut vegetables or smaller sizes such as baby carrots.
Use a variety of different vegetables and the kids will be attracted to the colorful presentation.You also can cut the vegetables into fun shapes.
Look for bento box cutters (they look like cookie cutters, but they're smaller) in shops that sell cooking and food preparation supplies.
Add pieces of cheese as well, if the kids are able to eat dairy.
Use a sectioned container, or get creative and use lettuce to section off a larger tray. , If your kids turn up their noses at celery sticks, add peanut butter and raisins to create "ants on a log." While peanut butter and raisins are the traditional ingredients, you can get creative and substitute whatever your kids enjoy.You can use different types of raisins, or mix it up with dried berries such as dried blueberries or cranberries.
Almond butter or other spreads such as hummus can be used instead of peanut butter if the child has peanut allergies. , Grapes can be a quick and inexpensive gluten-free snack for kids.
They also freeze really well, and can be broken apart into individual servings and popped in the freezer for a cool treat during warmer months.Freezing grapes enhances the flavor as well as being slower to eat.
To freeze them properly, remove them from their stems and rinse them well.
From there you can portion them into small bags to freeze, or spread them out flat on a lined cookie sheet.
Other fruits are good frozen as well, such as blueberries, peaches, and strawberries. , Applesauce is a naturally gluten-free snack, but buying pre-packaged individual servings can get expensive.
If you have a crockpot and a little bit of time, you can make your own applesauce for a fraction of the cost of commercial brands.Search online for recipes and find one that suits your taste.
The good part about making your own applesauce is that you can season it to taste, or add other fruits such as cranberries or strawberries.
You also have the ability to control the consistency, so you can have chunkier applesauce if that's what the kids like.
Keep in mind that the applesauce will become sweeter as it cools, so don't make it too sweet while cooking.
Use a mix of apples to create more complex flavors, or make different varieties with specific types of apples.
About the Author
Brandon Rodriguez
Creates helpful guides on practical skills to inspire and educate readers.
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