Summer is an active time for your kids. With sports, summer outdoor fun, and a break from school, they need energy to keep up with their many activities!
With everything going on for your family in the warmer months, you need healthy, easy recipes to make for your kids on the go.
While summer treats can mean ice cream and sugary snacks from time to time, you want go-to options that are nutritious and filling. You also want snacks that they actually will want to eat.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorites for when the temps start to rise. From healthy homemade popsicles and savory kale chips to cucumber sushi bites and oven-baked granola bars, your child will appreciate the variety of flavors and textures in every snack you try out.
Plus, if your little one has already shown an interest in the kitchen, they’ll love whipping up these treats and goodies with you!
1. Homemade Fruit Popsicles
Nothing beats a popsicle on a hot day. Even adults can’t resist refreshing cold treats in the summer!
As fresh, ripe fruits begin to fill the produce section at your local grocery store, try out different variations of flavors and textures. Try replacing store-bought popsicles with these healthy homemade fruit pops.
What You’ll Need:
- Popsicle mold
- Fruit juice (orange, lemon, guava, grape, and apple tend to melt slower)
- Chopped fruit for texture
- Yogurt or unsweetened coconut milk (optional if you want a creamier popsicle)
Flavor Combinations to Try:
- Blueberry and lemon
- Strawberry and peach with yogurt
- Orange, mango, and coconut
- Minty watermelon
- Banana and strawberry
- Mango and pineapple
How to Make It:
- Purée fruit and fruit juice. Acidic juices like lemon and lime help reduce an overly icy texture.
- Chop up or dice your choice of fruit into small chunks or slivers.
- Fill up your popsicle mold with the fruit purée, adding in fruit chunks as you go.
- Place molds in your freezer and leave them for at least 4 to 6 hours. Overnight freezing yields the best results.
Homemade popsicles offer endless possibilities with flavor combinations and are an excellent way to get your child to eat more fruit. These will easily become a favorite daytime snack or dessert after dinner!
2. Frozen Watermelon Pops
When the temps start to climb, you’ll want something that’ll keep your kids hydrated and cool while they play in the sun.
Nothing says summer like refreshing wedges of watermelon. And you can take those wedges to the next level by simply placing them in the freezer for a super simple (and healthy) frozen pop!
What You’ll Need:
- Watermelon
- Popsicle sticks
- Chef’s knife (or larger knife to cut watermelon)
How to Make It:
- Cut watermelon into evenly sized, triangular wedges.
- Place wedges on a plate and put in freezer for 2 hours.
- Make incisions in the rind of the watermelon and slide popsicle sticks in.
As a bonus, you can take leftover watermelon pops and toss them in the blender to make watermelon slushies!
3. Cucumber Sushi Bites
Sushi can be a tough dish to convince kids to try for the first time. Instead, introduce them to the idea of sushi with this simple (and cheap!) vegetarian option.
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cucumbers
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ avocado
- ½ cup sushi rice (cooked)
- 1 tbs. soy sauce (for serving)
How to Make It:
- Finely slice the red bell pepper and avocado.
- Rinse rice and cook using a 1:1 ratio of water to rice.
- Cut both cucumbers in half short wise and hollow out the centers.
- Dry out the hollowed-out areas by wrapping a skewer or chopstick in a paper towel and dabbing the areas.
Stuff 2 tsp. of rice into each cucumber, using a knife to press the rice up against the sides. - Slide pieces of bell pepper and avocado into the cucumbers until filled.
- Slice cucumbers into bite-sized pieces and serve with soy sauce.
Classic sushi rice is typically seasoned with rice vinegar, white sugar, and salt — add this in if your kiddo is up for a bolder flavor with their snack.
4. Tasty Everything Kale Chips
How many times has your little one snacked on potato chips only to be hungry again 30 minutes later? It’s time to switch out greasy chips for a healthier option with these easy oven-baked kale chips.
Even the child who swears they don’t like eating greens will gobble these up during snack time.
What You’ll Need:
- 4 cups chopped kale leaves, no stems
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. poppy seeds
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (grated)
- Cooking spray or olive oil
How to Make It:
- Preheat your oven to 325 F.
- Toss chopped kale in oil and place on a cooking sheet (if you have cooking spray, place kale on the sheet and spray to evenly coat).
- Whisk together remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the mixture over all pieces of kale and toss to evenly coat.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye on the kale to ensure it doesn’t burn.
While this is a summer snack recipe, this can easily become a year-round option, especially for packing school lunches.
5. Chewy Granola Bars (Nut-Free)
Granola bars were a staple for lots of us growing up, and now you can share a tasty homemade version with your little ones. Opting for a nut-free version is a safer option too, especially when your kiddo wants to share with others.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 ⅔ cup oats
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup dried fruit (cranberries, mango, dates, or plums)
- ¼ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. water
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
How to Make It:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Whisk honey or syrup, melted butter, and water until well blended.
- Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl then add in butter mixture. Stir together until everything is well combined.
- Add chocolate chips to the bowl and stir in with all ingredients.
- Place ingredients on a large baking sheet. Press down firmly to keep everything compact.
- Bake until golden around the edges, 25-30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let them completely cool.
- Use a sharp knife to cut into bars while mixture is still in pan.
The granola bars will keep up to a week when they’re kept covered or wrapped up. You can also keep them in the freezer for up to a month.
6. Fruit and Cheese Kabobs
This super easy treat is something your child can also make with you. While minimal chopping is involved, they’ll have fun putting together the kabobs before enjoying this tasty combination of bite-sized fruits and cheese.
What You’ll Need:
- 8 cheese snacks (Babybel is a nice light option)
- 24 seedless grapes
- 24 small strawberries
- 4 oz. vanilla yogurt (optional)
- Honey (optional)
- Skewers
How to Make It:
- Cut cheese snacks into bite-sized pieces. You should be able to get 3 triangular slices from each snack.
- Alternate between cheese and fruits, sliding them onto the skewers.
- If you’d like to serve yogurt as a dipping sauce for the fruit, mix vanilla yogurt with honey and place it in a serving bowl.
- Drizzle kabobs with honey.
If you prefer, you can also skip the skewers and throw all of the ingredients into a bowl or a to-go container.
7. Zucchini Pizza Bites
Pizza bites are another classic snack many of us remember from our childhoods, but they weren’t always the healthiest option. These zucchini pizza bites are excellent for getting in an extra portion of veggies, whether you serve them as a snack or as a fun side dish.
What You’ll Need:
- 1 large zucchini
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 1 tbs. tomato puree
- 100g mini mozzarella balls
- Dried Italian herbs
How to Make It:
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Cut off ends of the zucchini then cut into thick round slices.
- Place slices on the baking sheet and lightly brush or drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then flip all slices and spread a thin layer of tomato puree on each piece.
- Add a mozzarella ball to each slice and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Bake for another 8 minutes.
- Let tray cool down for a few minutes before serving.
Some kiddos may require a little convincing, especially if they’re not familiar with zucchini. But once they’ve had a bite these are sure to be a summer favorite!
Get Your Child Registered for Summer Programming
Fueled with healthy snacks, your kids will have the energy to have a blast all summer long! At Mountain Kids and MCDA, we believe in hearty and nutritious treats that keep kids moving and grooving when they’re in our classes.
And if you’re still looking for some fun and exciting activities for your child to do this summer, don’t want too long to get them scheduled — classes are filling up fast!
Register now for kid’s gymnastics, dance, and NinjaZone programs