Here is a collection of some of Harold’s favourite snack ideas and simple recipes to get children interested in and creative with healthy food.
Some of the ideas presented may seem unusual but Harold invites you to be adventurous and try them out. You might surprise yourself!
Kids- don't forget to ask an adult to help!
Melon Ice Blocks
Harold loves to make these when melon is in season. Any melon is suitable. In fact,
Harold loves to mix all three. Simply cut melon into cubes. Mix all together. Spoon
ladlefuls into sandwich bags, tie a knot and freeze. (You can use twist ties if you want. Keep frozen and substitute for ice blocks in summer.
Traffic Lights
Cut melon into larger cubes. Use paddlepop sticks and assemble watermelon,
rockmelon and honeydew on the stick. (red, yellow, green) Cover the melon with
plastic wrap and again just place on a tray and freeze. Some school canteens that Harold visits freeze pineapple rings in a baggie and sell them as well. DELICIOUS!
Frozen Bananas
Peel bananas. Carefully push in a paddlepop stick. Roll in honey and then in coconut
and freeze. Great for monkeys, giraffes and children of all ages, of course!!
Fruit Fondue
Don’t worry; there are no flames involved. Harold calls it this because we use
fondue forks to eat. Use plain vanilla yoghurt. Place in a nice bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Prepare a platter of mixed fruit. Three of anything you like but don’t forget to vary the colours and flavours. This makes it look attractive and fun. Chunks of apple, banana, melon, strawberry, kiwi fruit, pineapple, grapes are suggestions. Simply give each person a fondue fork and allow them to spear and dip. Don’t forget to arrange the fruit platter attractively. Children love doing this as a family dessert. One of Harold’s hit songs is VARIETY, and this encourages eating different kinds of fruit!
Soft Serve Banana Ice
Before School –Simply peel 4-6 bananas and place on a plastic wrap covered dish.
Freeze
After School – Take out and leave for1-2 minutes to soften slightly. Cut into
chunks and put into a blender or food processor. Blend/process until it goes
thick, smooth and creamy…like soft serve ice cream but ALL FRUIT! Enough for the
family.
“Meal In a Peel” Smoothie
Great for breakfast in a hurry or afternoon tea.
1/2 cup milk
1 peeled banana
2 Tbsp plain or vanilla yoghurt
1 tsp honey (optional)
Simply process until smooth
Orange Frothie
1 cup orange juice
1 egg
Simply whip together until light and frothy. A lovely sunny drink!! Remember
that fruit has natural sugars so rinse your mouth with water when you finish. Your teeth will love you for it!
Fruit Chews
3 cups fruit juice (try apple, grape, orange, orange-pineapple, etc.)
5 envelopes gelatin
Soften gelatin in 1 cup fruit juice in a medium mixing bowl. Bring one cup juice to a
boil and stir in gelatin/juice mix. Continue stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Add
remaining cup of juice. Pour into 8 inch square pan and refrigerate until firm.
For coloured chews, make the recipe using white grape juice and a single drop of
Veges
Broccoli Trees
1/4 cup light sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
4 carrots
3 cups broccoli florets
Prepare a dip by combining the sour cream, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice, and
basil in a medium-size mixing bowl. To make the trees, cut each carrot in
half widthwise and then lengthwise into four pieces. Assemble on a plate by laying
three carrot pieces side by side for a trunk with the broccoli florets as the leaves. Spread dip under the trunks for the forest floor.
Healthy Harold’s Humus
1 tin chick peas
1-2 tsp minced garlic to taste (Harold just keeps a jar in the fridge, but you can use
fresh if you want.)
lemon juice
Drain the tin of chick peas. Save a bit of the liquid. Add garlic and lemon to taste and process or blend until smooth. You may need to add a bit of liquid if it’s too thick.
Harold knows that humus usually has tahini (sesame seed paste) but not everyone
likes it or has it and humus is still great without it. Use this as a dip with carrot or celery sticks, or cut up pita bread or tortillas!!
Ants on a Log
Fill celery sticks with peanut butter and dot with sultanas. This sounds weird but tastes great. You can vary this by using cream cheese instead of the peanut butter. DELICIOUS!
Frozen Peas
A small handful for a child in a bowl is a refreshing tasty snack especially in summer.
Harold discovered this as a very young giraffe when the packet broke by accident and peas went flying across the bench! He and the dog raced for them!!
Scrumptious Spuds
Use small to medium size potato. Scrub it off, pierce skin with a fork and bake in
the microwave 3-5 minutes. Depends on the size of the potato. Test to see that the potato is done by piercing it with a fork. Ask Mum to help. Cut a large cross on top and squeeze so the potato pops through (Don’t forget to wear oven mitts when you do this – the potato is very hot) You can put butter, salt and pepper, grated cheese, leftover bolognaise sauce or chili, even tinned tuna. Some kids that Harold knows love to put a mini tin of baked beans or corn kernels over. This is a great way to use up leftover stuff in the fridge. Harold just uses a larger potato for a fast dinner when we
clean out the fridge…YUM!
Munchy Muesli
4 cups rolled oats – spread on a cookie
sheet and bake at 170° for 10-15 minutes.
1 cup shredded coconut and 1/2 cup sesame
seeds – bake this for only 5 minutes– burns easily
Wait until these have cooled and add 1/2 cup green pumpkin seeds and 1 cup mixed
dried fruit, some banana chips, whatever you like This is lower in sugar and salt
than commercial Muesli and cheaper too. Great for breakfast or to make Muesli
bars (see below).
Muesli Bars
3 1/2 cups muesli
125 g butter or margarine
4 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp honey
Boil together butter or margarine, sugar and honey for 2 minutes. Add 3 1/2
cups muesli and mix well. Spread over a greased Lamington tin. Allow to cool
slightly before cutting into bars, then refrigerate
Mini Pizzas
Split and toast an English muffin or use small pizza pocket bread.
Spread with pizza sauce, tomato paste, or even a bit of pasta sauce. Make faces using
cherry tomatoes cut in half for eyes(olives if you prefer) You can use strips of
capsicum or green beans to make smiles. Harold even used corn kernels to make
teeth once. Grated carrot makes great hair or just grated cheese. This was the
recipe where Harold found out that he really LOVES mushrooms now. Use a small
amount of grated cheese but be creative. Of couse, you can also use slices of salami
and ham, and pineapple.
Country MILO Slice
1 can skimmed condensed milk
50 g butter or margarine
1 cup MILO
2 1/2 cups rice bubbles
1 cup fruit medley
Melt milk and butter in the microwave for 2 minutes.
Mix in MILO, add rice bubbles and fruit. Spread into a greased Lamington tin and
put in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Cut into squares or muesli bar size bars. This is a
great substitute for LCMS in a lunchbox.
Flavoured Popcorn
Simply follow direction on ordinary popping corn. Cook up about 1/2 cup.
Chicken flavour – Sprinkle over 60 g of melted butter and some chicken salt.
Pizza flavour – 60 g melted butter with1/2 cup grated parmesan, 2 tsp Oregano, 1
tsp garlic salt.
Harold would like to thank his very good friend Louise Parrott for helping him with these very yummy recipies!