Tricking Your Kids into Eating Healthy Foods: 5 Snack Ideas

I don’t have kids—nor are they anywhere on the radar—but sometimes when I’m coming up with new recipes, I find myself thinking of ways I’ll trick my future spawn into eating healthy foods. Like telling them green juice is actually slime from Nickelodeon (as a 90’s child, this totally would have worked on me); or calling anything with pureed chickpeas in it “cookie dough”; and stirring flax and chia seeds into anything and everything. Maybe if I start the brainwashing at a young enough age, I can even convince them that raw kale tastes good. Kids, c’mon, it’s like a Snickers bar, only green, I promise…

Now I’m well aware none of these are going to work because I have the strongest picky eater karma ever coming my way (as a kid, I would eat nothing but plain pasta with butter and sugar cubes…seriously), but hey, a girl can dream. And when Nasoya asked me to write a post about back-to-school recipes, I decided to roundup some P&I snacks that have made me think “this will be awesome for tricking my future kids into eating healthy.” This post is based on 0 years of parenting experience (unless you count that one time I petsat my friend’s dog…no? Not the same thing? Ok…), so let’s have some fun with it.

Shhh Don’t Tell Them It’s Healthy: 5 Snack Ideas for Kids

Frozen Banana Treats

So many directions to go with these! Wanna keep it easy? You can melt some semi-sweet dark chocolate chips; dip sliced banana chunks in it; and pop in the freezer for a health(ier) sweet snack/dessert. Wanna keep it easy but also win Parent of the Year? Make these Greek Yogurt & Crushed Almond Banana Popsicles. Your kids will love them, you’ll love them—it’s a win-win.

Fun Hummuses (Hummus? Hummi?)

Chipotle Tofu Hummus using Nasoya Tofu

Neither my spellchecker nor I know what the plural of “hummus” is, and while Google says “hummuses,” I think we can all agree “hummi” sounds best. But anyway…

Do I think most kids are going to voluntarily eat plain hummus? Probably not until they’re a bit older. But there are so many flavor variations out there, you’re bound to find one your kids enjoy. Sweet Potato Hummus is a great one to try because it’s just that—sweet! It’s great to eat as a dip with carrot sticks or to spread on crackers and top with sliced grapes (trust me on that—sweet potato grapes = $$$).

If hummus as a dip just isn’t going to work, you can use it as a healthy sandwich spread to replace that awesome creamy texture usually provided by mayonnaise and/or cheese. I’d skip the flavored varieties and use plain hummus on sandwiches if you’re trying to sneak it passed the kids. And if your child is lactose intolerant (or you’re just trying to cut out some dairy), try this Chipotle Tofu Hummus as a melted cheese replacement on burritos. Tofu is a great addition to hummus for giving it a smooth, almost cheese-like texture, and the subtle smoky chipotle taste blends well with traditional Mexican food ingredients.

Just Call It a Muffin and Don’t Say the “Q” Word Outloud…

These Apple Banana Quinoa Cups makes for a delicious breakfast muffin replacement or a snack any time of day. And they’ve been approved by tons of real kids, so I don’t even have to waste another sentence defending their place on this roundup.

Chickpea “Cookie Dough”

Between my obsession with hummus and the following recipe, it’s surprising I haven’t yet turned into a chickpea. These Chickpea “Cookie Dough” Bites are dairy-free, grain-free, and use no added sugar—yet are delicious! And they’re super filling, so your kids won’t need more than two or three in their lunchbox to make it through snacktime.

Smoothies

I asked my mom about sneaking healthy food into my and my brother’s diet as a kid, and she said smoothies were always her go-to. She’d even put powdered acidophilus in them if one of us had been on antibiotics or had any GI issues (news to me—ha!). There are COUNTLESS smoothie combos out there that will get the thumbs-up from kiddos, but if your kid loves PB&J sandwiches, you might try swapping them for this Peanut Butter Berry Smoothie—it’s a winner!

Can’t wait to hear from all the moms out there in the comments section today!

• What are some ways you sneak healthy foods into your kids’ diets?
• Have you had any hilarious failed attempts?

Also, feel free to crush my dreams and tell me which of these recipes would never get the green light from your little ones.

This post was sponsored by Nasoya. I was given full creative control over the content, and all opinions are my own…as always.