Ah, finger foods – they could very well be the stuff of legend. They help moms provide nutritious, compact snacks for their little ones without having to spend inordinate amounts of time in the kitchen. If you’ve been looking for some fun, simple and yummy finger foods for your kids, check out the following seven recipes.
1. “Traffic Light” Fruit Skewers
The concept is fun yet surprisingly simple: Create a fruit skewer using a red, yellow and green fruit to resemble a traffic light. No problem! You can use strawberries or cherries for the red light, cubed mango or pineapple for the yellow light, and sliced kiwi or cubed honeydew melon for the green light. Put them all on a toothpick, and voila! You’ve got a fun, ready-to-gobble traffic light fruit skewer. Truth be told, you can use any fruits that fit the bill, so feel free to modify based on your child’s preferences.
2. Ants on a Log
This is another perennial favorite finger food for little hands. Simply spread the nut butter of your choice on a celery stalk, and then line it with raisins to create ants on a log. Not only does it look cool, but it’s packed with important nutrients such as protein from the peanut butter, B vitamins from the raisins and immune-system-boosting antioxidants from the celery.
3. Mini Crescent Dogs
Popularly known as pigs-in-a-blanket, mini crescent dogs provide a delicious savory protein source for your little ones. If you’re not too keen on using pork link sausage for the “pigs,” you can substitute all-natural, all-beef hot dogs (that contain no nitrates or fillers) instead. Pillsbury offers the complete recipe for this fun snack, but feel free to modify as needed. One popular upgrade is to add shredded cheddar cheese to your mini crescent dogs; just remember to flatten out the wide end of the dough before rolling it up in order to provide adequate coverage for the cheese, so that it won’t fall out of the roll.
4. Apple Wedges with Nut Butter
It doesn’t get any simpler – or more delicious – than this. Simply slice up some of your favorite apples (Pink Lady and Golden Delicious are popular favorites) into wedges, and then spread some of your child’s favorite nut butter onto each wedge. The apples provide a good dose of antioxidants and fiber, while the nut butter rounds out the nutrition with essential B vitamins and protein.
5. Cheddar Chicken Bites
Okay, you’ve got delicious chicken tenders breaded with crumbled Cheez-It crackers – is there anything else left to say? Dash Recipes provides the details on how to prepare this fun and flavorful finger food.
6. Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
Imagine the bite-sized convenience of a muffin, but with the unbridled deliciousness of a pepperoni pizza. That’s what pepperoni pizza puffs are all about! Maeghan over at The Way to His Heart provides the details on how to whip up these savory snacks in just 20 minutes.
7. Banana Boat
This is a super-easy yet uber-delicious snack that provides plenty of protein and potassium for those growing bodies. Simply slice open a banana lengthwise (like you’re making a “banana canoe”) and spread a generous amount of nut butter on the inside. That’s all it takes! If you want to try out an amazing homemade nut butter concoction for your banana boats, head over to Eat, Drink & Be Mary for the delectable recipe.
The finger foods listed above are kid-approved, yet they’re perfect for the whole family to enjoy as well. Here’s to a delightful meal!
