School is out for summer! For many Moms, that means that their families are at home during the day, looking for snacks to fuel their outdoor fun. Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD, mother of three and author of MyPlate for Moms, How to Feed Yourself & Your Family Better says that stocking the kitchen with easy-to-grab, better-for-you snacks is key to keeping families happy and nourished throughout the summer months. “When Moms control the snack options, she can control her child’s nutrition choices.”
Ward gives her favorite grab & go snack ideas for active families this summer:
1. Frozen Yogurt Dollops. “Non-fat yogurt is a great way to get families the calcium and protein they need,” says Ward. For a summertime-frozen treat, spoon yogurt into a plastic bag, snip a corner off the bag and squeeze dollops of yogurt onto a cookie sheet and freeze. After they’re frozen, they make delicious bite sized treats that your family will love!
2. On-the-Go Bars. For an easy-to-make and quick to grab snack, try On-the-Go Bars made with Country Crock. By using Country Crock® instead of butter in this recipe, you have 70% less saturated fat, 30% fewer calories than butter and no cholesterol with no partially hydrogenated oils, – and your family will love them!*
3. Popcorn Pit Stop. Air-popped popcorn has about 35 calories per cup and 1.2 grams of fiber**! Ward suggests filling a large tub with air-popped popcorn, and sprinkling with low-fat parmesan or a salt-free flavoring to make an easy-to-access fuel pack for hungry snackers.
* Country Crock® Regular and Churn Style have 60 calories, 7g fat, 2g saturated fat and 0g of trans fat per serving. One serving (1Tbsp.) of butter contains 100 calories, 11g total fat, 7g saturated fat. (http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/).
** USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 24: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/.