TASTYTREATS
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frosty nutrition
o the amazement and delight of some village children one Christmas, Frosty the Snowman came to life. Laughing and playing, he led the youngsters through a day of fun. Could Frosty’s secret energy have something to do with his snacking habits and not just his magical top hat? Let your kids try out some frosty and festive empowering snacks that might be a favorite of that magical snowman!
Snowman Cakes
Festive Candy Canes
Green & Red Christmas Trees
This snack provides your kids with whole grains, which are the best complex carbohydrate source needed for energy.
Potassium and vitamin C fill these festive canes with the nutrients needed for a strong heartbeat and immune system.
These trees are especially loaded with fiber from all the great ingredients. Fiber will keep your KC kids fuller longer.
Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
• Rice cakes • Cream cheese • Raisins • Red and orange pepper (or alternatives such as carrots or apples)
• 2 bananas • 8 strawberries
• Cucumbers • Cherry tomatoes • Carrots • Whole grain crackers • Ranch dressing (for dipping)
Directions 1. Spread your cream cheese on the rice cakes and add snowman features. “My kids enjoy assembling this snack themselves,” says Catherine, an Overland Park mother of two young daughters.
Directions 1. Slice fruit 2. Arrange on platter or plate alternating a strawberry slice with a banana slice to make the candy cane effect. “This is a great way to get my teens to eat more fruit,” says Mary, a mom of three teenage boys from Olathe.
Directions 1. Slice cucumbers into rounds and stack in pyramid formation. 2. Cut carrots into desired shapes. 3. Decorate with veggie ornaments. 4. Add a stack of whole grain crackers for the trunk. 5. Serve with ranch dressing. “We serve this snack at holiday parties, and all the kids dive in,” says Donald, a Lee’s Summit father of three children.
Amy Hundley is a registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed in both Kansas and Missouri, and a published freelance nutrition writer. She is currently practicing as a clinical RD and has been a resident of Olathe since early childhood. Amy can be contacted at AmyHundley05@gmail.com. Sources: EatRight.org, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, Institute of Medicine, USDA kcparent.com december 2020
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