During the fall season, it’s easy to indulge in the sugary sweetness of caramel apples, pumpkin pie, and Halloween candy. But all those empty calories do little to nourish growing bodies. These healthy fall snack ideas will entertain your children while introducing them to healthy alternatives. **Parents and guardians should always monitor small children while eating**
Apple Chips
The natural sweetness of apples comes out in full force when they’re baked with warming spices, like cinnamon or nutmeg. Using a paring knife, an adult can cut apples into quarter inch thick slices. Children can sprinkle the cinnamon on the apples before placing them on a cookie sheet or in an air fryer. In the oven, the apples should be cooked at 200 degrees F for up to 3 hours. In the air fryer, cook a single layer of apple chips at 380 degrees F for 8 minutes on each side.
Aside from being delicious, apples contain vital nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants that have been shown to boost heart, brain, and digestive health. Apple chips can be dipped in flavored yogurt for added flavor.
Clementine Jack-O-Lanterns
Carving pumpkins is a favorite fall past time but it can be really messy. Instead, hand the children some non-toxic markers and invite them to draw a spooky face on oranges or clementines. These fun fruits can be made to look scary or silly. The nice part is they can peel their creation when they’re ready for a sweet treat.
Edible Scarecrows
Using a popcorn ball as the base/head, children can get creative with their edible scarecrow. Roll the popcorn ball in peanut butter, which enables pretzel sticks, Chex mix and raisins or other dried fruit to stick to it. Kids can use the raisins to make eyes and a mouth, stick the pretzels into the popcorn ball or against the peanut butter for hay-style hair, and make a Chex mix hat. When their masterpiece is complete, it’s time to eat!
