3 Spring Break Snack Ideas from the Lansing YMCA
Julie Bitely
| 2 min read
If you and your kids are staying close to home over spring break, make sure to have plenty of healthy snacks on hand to keep them from noshing on unhealthier options.
The following three recipes are provided by the Lansing YMCA and were also included as part of a child-friendly cookbook YMCA staffers handed out to families who participated in the Winter Warm Up kickoff earlier this year.
Membership Engagement Coordinator Paige Finney said the Y’s involvement in community events and programming such as the Winter Warm Up is how they spread easy and practical ways for people to get and stay healthy.
“We’re just here to help them,” she said. “The Y is so much more than just a gym and swim.”
Get in the kitchen with your kids and make these fun and healthy snacks together as a great way to shake up your spring break routine.
Awesome Granola
- 6 cups oatmeal, uncooked
- 1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
- 2 cups chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup (1 stick) melted butter
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1 cup raisins
- 2 32-oz. tubs plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except raisins, in a large bowl and mix well. Back in a glass baking dish for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Stir every five minutes. Next, stir in raisins and cool thoroughly.
Butterfly Bites
- 1 16-oz. package of celery hearts, each stalk cut in half
- 1 10-oz. bag of large twist pretzels
- 1 16-oz. jar of creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups raisins
Fill center of each celery stick with about 1 ½ Tbsp of peanut butter to form the body of the butterfly. Add two pretzels to form the butterfly’s wings. Use extra pretzel pieces for antenna and raisins for decoration.
Salsa Fresca
- 12 chopped tomatoes
- 1 ½ finely chopped onions
- 1 ½ cups chopped cilantro
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste
- 1 14-oz. tub of guacamole
- 2 10 oz. bags of corn tortilla chips or two 12-oz. packages of whole wheat pita bread for dipping
In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Serve ½ cup Salsa Fresca with 1 Tbsp guacamole and handful of chips or whole wheat pita bread.
Tell us your favorite healthy snack ideas in the comments!
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Photo credit: Naotake Murayama
