Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s time to whip up some creative treats for you and the kids. While Valentine’s Day is always associated with treats like chocolate and candy, you can create some delicious treats for the kids while still being healthy.
valentine skewers
One way to allow children to indulge in a special Valentine’s Day treat, without losing nutritional value, is to prepare fruit kabobs with yogurt dip. You can buy red or pink plastic skewers and then load them up with strawberries, cherries, watermelon, and red seedless grapes. You can use a small heart shaped cookie cutter for the berries and watermelon to add to the festive look. Low-fat vanilla yogurt works well as a dip, and strawberry yogurt would be perfect with your theme.
Here’s another nutritious treat idea for your favorite little Valentine. For breakfast on this special day, prepare heart-shaped muffins. You won’t need a special muffin tin either. Simply fill your muffin cups with the batter and then press a piece of aluminum foil, rolled 1/2-inch thick between the muffin cup and the pan to form a heart shape.
Here’s one that’s a bit different:
strawberry rolls
You will need: 4 (6-inch) soft tortillas
Low Fat Strawberry Cream Cheese
Strawberry jam 4T
Spread cream cheese evenly over each tortilla. Add 1 tablespoon strawberry jam, spread it down the center. Fold the edges of the tortilla over, about two inches. Now roll the tortilla up, jelly style. Cut into 2-inch bites for the perfect Valentine’s Day snack.
Mini fruit smoothies for Valentine’s Day
Little ones enjoy fruit smoothies, so why not serve them on Valentine’s Day to show your kids how much you appreciate them, in a nutritious and tasty way? They’re so easy to make that you’ll find yourself making a batch even when it’s not a special day. Simply combine a fruit mix in your blender, with a little fruit juice added to make a liquid. You can serve them in decorated Dixie glasses fit for little hands and garnish them with cocktail umbrellas for a special touch.
To stick with the theme of the day, use mainly red fruits and juice. Strawberries and raspberries are great options and you can mix them with bananas without changing the color scheme. Apple juice pairs well with berries for its liquid.
Jell-O Hearts: no sugar or dyes
Little ones love Jello, but as a mom you get stressed out by all that sugar and artificial coloring. Try this instead for a nutritious option:
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil, add ½ cup of grape juice and 1 packet of unflavored gelatin. Stir until dissolved. After it cools down a bit, add another ½ cup of grape juice. Pour into heart-shaped molds and refrigerate until firm. If you don’t have heart-shaped molds, you can pour the gelatin mixture into a baking pan, then cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter after it’s firm.
These treats will add some special touches to Valentine’s Day for you and your kids. You can make them as a surprise or the kids can join in on the fun!