Must have Halloween Classroom Party Snacks!

From the very first day that I brought our son home I have worried about the nutritional health of our children. When they were infants I worried if breast milk was enough, when they were toddlers I worried about fortified finger foods and when they started school I stressed about simple snack time offerings. Schools made it a rule that homemade goodies were not allowed and parents, like myself, were left to choose only what the grocery stores have to offer which are refined, quick and for the most part sugar laden and unhealthy choices. I decided to make a list of unrefined snack ideas that can spruce up the Holiday party. I started with Halloween and came up with a list of seven unrefined, healthy Halloween classroom party ideas.

These seven tantalizing treats can be made by the children in a classroom setting with minimal mess or prep time. They are filled with vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and calcium that are sure to keep the festivities going in a healthy and unrefined way.

Apple Costumes

Is that a bat in the classroom? No it’s an apple with a funny mask! This Vitamin C and fiber packed treat will keep those choppers chewing. Printout the free printable and wrap those washed red or green apples. These masks will make the whole fruit mysterious and appealing! To print out the apple masks click here to takeyou to the down loadable sheets.

Banana Ghost Pops

Where does a ghost go to take a swim? Well vanilla yogurt of course! Take half of a peeled banana and place the cut end on a Popsicle stick. Press the pointy side of two small chocolate chips into the banana to make the eyes. Frozen bananas with chocolate chips make this treat especially chilling. Using the Popsicle stick dip the banana ghost into a serving of low-fat vanilla yogurt. These potassium rich ghosts swimming in a sea of calcium and protein make a super hero snack. Click here to see them on our Pinterest page! 

Swamp Water and Bugs on a Raft

Nothing says swampy like green or brown juice! Mix 100% grape juice with 100% orange juice or purchase Green Machine juice by Naked brand for an authentic swampy effect. Maneuver the swamp on a rickety raft made of apple slices with a layer of nut butter and topped with raisins and/or chocolate chips. Serve raft and water separately.

Sangre Salsa Dip

Little vampires can’t resist the temptation to dip precut carrots, celery, baked blue corn chips or pretzel sticks into Vitamin C rich tomato salsa.

Mummy Unwrapped

Some mummies just don’t have it together. Take string cheese and peel the strands off and layer them in a whole wheat tortilla. Garnish with a tablespoon of hummus and matchstick carrots. Roll together all of the ingredients in the tortilla and enjoy this protein rich and whole grain ancient inspired spooky snack.  

Witch Mix

Bring out the cauldron to mix together these fall favorites including Pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, dried edamame or dried peas, nuts, raisins, dried cranberries or apricots. This good witch mix will serve up vitamins, minerals and protein in a healthy blend.

Clementine Pumpkins

Small oranges, like Clementine’s or Cuties, can be eaten with ease by little hands. Peel the pumpkins and stick a 2 inch celery stick down the center of the pumpkin.

When it comes down to it, children like to play with their food, maybe even more than they like the bright colored, sugar filled character dressed candies, cakes and cookies. This year say goodbye to the wicked witch that brings in the artificial colors, chemicals and supped up sugar foods and say hello to the nutrition fairy that wants only healthy alternatives to ease the crazy holiday season.

R.I.P unhealthy classroom snacks.

"Like" our page: ABCD Eat Right

Check out our website: WWW.ABCDEatRight.com 

Valentines Day Classroom Party Ideas...Still sweet just not full of chemicals and sugar!

Here we are again...another fun classroom party that may be filled with artificial dyes, flavors, processed foods and did I mention SUGAR! Everybody loves the brightly colored red, pink and white for Valentines Day but why not choose some of these easy classroom party snack additions filled with healthy ingredients and subtracting out the unhealthy ingredients. Here are 10 ideas to make your Valentines Healthy and still "Heart-y"

1. Small sandwiches cut into hearts. Fill them with cheese, cream cheese or nut butter and jelly.

2. Strawberry low fat milk (Buy organic milk boxes like Stoney Farms where there is not a lot of additional sugars added), or make your own. Paper straws add a great decoration to the already pink milk.

3. Dark or white chocolate dipped fruit (or vegetables). My daughter can't wait to help me make chocolate covered carrots this year. She thought that was a blast last year when we were experimenting with dipping fruits and vegetables. Dip just the very tips of the produce trying not to necessarily engulf the entire bite, leaving more fruit than chocolate.

4. Tomato salsa with baked chips or raw vegetables like cauliflower and red peppers for dipping.

5. Valentine Confetti Popcorn- Popcorn, dried strawberries, raisins and mini chocolate chips. What is a party without confetti? This confetti will fill the bellies with fiber and antioxidants.

6. Happy Trails Trail Mix are made by mixing together yogurt covered raisins or pretzels, dried cranberries, strawberries or tomatoes and mini-chocolate chips.

7. Layer strawberries and red grapes on a stick up cut out melons into heart shapes to make a festive Fruit kebab.  

8. Whole fruit wrapped in a cute Valentines Day fruit mask! Hooray for the Naturally sweet Valentines Day card! To print out your own fruit mask click here. And Don't forget to post a picture of your wrapped fruits on our Facebook page. 

9. Consider X-ing out red velvet cake and cupcakes and substituting homemade Strawberry muffins for a healthier treat.

10. Cutie oranges. I can't get enough of these easy to peel handful of healthy treats.

Last year I sent these in with my son's valentines day cards. Not my original idea, I found it on Pinterest but LOVE it!!

Have a great Valentines Day and feed your loved ones with healthy treats that they will love! xoxo

For more information visit:

www.ABCDEatRight.com

Facebook: ABCD Eat Right
Twitter: @ABCDEatRight1

Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

Classroom Halloween Party ideas. What is a fruit mask?

From the very first day that I brought our son home I have worried about the nutritional health of our children. When they were infants I worried if breast milk was enough, when they were toddlers I worried about fortified finger foods and when they started school I stressed about simple snack time offerings. Schools made it a rule that homemade goodies were not allowed and parents, like myself, were left to choose only what the grocery stores have to offer which are refined, quick and for the most part sugar laden and unhealthy choices. I decided to make a list of unrefined snack ideas that can spruce up the Holiday party. I started with Halloween and came up with a list of seven unrefined, healthy Halloween classroom party ideas.

These seven tantalizing treats can be made by the children in a classroom setting with minimal mess or prep time. They are filled with vitamins, minerals, fiber, protein and calcium that are sure to keep the festivities going in a healthy and unrefined way.

Apple Costumes

Is that a bat in the classroom? No it’s an apple with a funny mask! This Vitamin C and fiber packed treat will keep those choppers chewing. Printout the free printable and wrap those washed red or green apples. These masks will make the whole fruit mysterious and appealing! To print out the apple masks click here to takeyou to the down loadable sheets.

Banana Ghost Pops

Where does a ghost go to take a swim? Well vanilla yogurt of course! Take half of a peeled banana and place the cut end on a Popsicle stick. Press the pointy side of two small chocolate chips into the banana to make the eyes. Frozen bananas with chocolate chips make this treat especially chilling. Using the Popsicle stick dip the banana ghost into a serving of low-fat vanilla yogurt. These potassium rich ghosts swimming in a sea of calcium and protein make a super hero snack. Click here to see them on our Pinterest page! 

Swamp Water and Bugs on a Raft

Nothing says swampy like green or brown juice! Mix 100% grape juice with 100% orange juice or purchase Green Machine juice by Naked brand for an authentic swampy effect. Maneuver the swamp on a rickety raft made of apple slices with a layer of nut butter and topped with raisins and/or chocolate chips. Serve raft and water separately.

Sangre Salsa Dip

Little vampires can’t resist the temptation to dip precut carrots, celery, baked blue corn chips or pretzel sticks into Vitamin C rich tomato salsa.

Mummy Unwrapped

Some mummies just don’t have it together. Take string cheese and peel the strands off and layer them in a whole wheat tortilla. Garnish with a tablespoon of hummus and matchstick carrots. Roll together all of the ingredients in the tortilla and enjoy this protein rich and whole grain ancient inspired spooky snack.  

Witch Mix

Bring out the cauldron to mix together these fall favorites including Pumpkin seeds, chocolate chips, dried edamame or dried peas, nuts, raisins, dried cranberries or apricots. This good witch mix will serve up vitamins, minerals and protein in a healthy blend.

Clementine Pumpkins

Small oranges, like Clementine’s or Cuties, can be eaten with ease by little hands. Peel the pumpkins and stick a 2 inch celery stick down the center of the pumpkin.

 

When it comes down to it, children like to play with their food, maybe even more than they like the bright colored, sugar filled character dressed candies, cakes and cookies. This year say goodbye to the wicked witch that brings in the artificial colors, chemicals and supped up sugar foods and say hello to the nutrition fairy that wants only healthy alternatives to ease the crazy holiday season.

R.I.P unhealthy classroom snacks.

"Like" our page: ABCD Eat Right

Check out our website: WWW.ABCDEatRight.com 

Classroom Valentines Parties...Healthy & Heart-y

Here we are again...another fun classroom party that may be filled with artificial dyes, flavors, processed foods and did I mention SUGAR! Everybody loves red, pink and white for Valentines Day but why not choose some of these easy classroom party snack additions filled with healthy ingredients and subtracting out the unhealthy ingredients. Here are 10 ideas to make your Valentines Healthy and still "Heart-y"

1. Small sandwiches cut into hearts. Fill them with cheese, cream cheese or nut butter and jelly.

2. Strawberry milk (Buy organic milk boxes like Stoney Farms where there is not a lot of additional sugars added), or make your own. Paper straws add a great decoration to the already pink milk.

3.Dark or white chocolate covered strawberries. My daughter can't wait to help me make chocolate covered carrots this year. She thought that was a blast last year when we were experimenting with dipping fruits and vegetables.

4. Tomato salsa with baked chips or raw vegetables like cauliflower and red peppers for dipping.

5. Valentine Confetti Popcorn- Popcorn, dried strawberries, raisins and mini chocolate chips. What is a party without confetti? This confetti will fill the bellies with fiber and antioxidants.

6. Happy Trails are made by mixing together yogurt covered raisins or pretzels, dried cranberries, strawberries or tomatoes and mini-chocolate chips.

7. Layer strawberries and red grapes on a stick up cut out melons into heart shapes to make a festive Fruit kebab.  

8. Peeled blood oranges. I love the surprise on a child's face when they see a blood orange. It has an amazingly rich red color full of antioxidants and flavor.  

9. Consider X-ing out red velvet cake and cupcakes and substituting homemade Strawberry muffins for a healthier treat.

10. Cutie oranges. I can't get enough of these easy to peel handful of healthy treats.

Last year I sent these in with my son's valentines day cards. Not my original idea, I found it on Pinterest but LOVE it!!

Have a great Valentines Day and feed your loved ones with healthy treats that they will love! xoxo

 

For more information visit:

www.ABCDEatRight.com

Facebook: ABCD Eat Right & Dietitian's Husband Unrefined

Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

Victorious Valentine's Day Classroom Party Choices

Here we are again...another fun classroom party that may be filled with artificial dyes, flavors, processed and did I mention SUGAR!. Everybody loves red, pink and white for Valentines Day but why not choose some of these easy classroom party snack additions filled with healthy ingredients and subtracting out the unhealthy ingredients.

1. Small sandwiches cut into hearts

2. Strawberry milk (Buy organic milk boxes like Stoney Farms where there is not a lot of additional sugars added), or make your own

3.Dark or white chocolate covered strawberries

4. Tomato salsa with baked chips or raw vegetables (cauliflower, red peppers) for dipping

 5. Roasted beet salad 

6. Trail mix (yogurt covered raisins or pretzels, dried cranberries, strawberries or tomatoes, chocolate chips)

7. Fruit kebabs (strawberries, red grapes)

8. Peeled blood oranges

9. Strawberry yogurt with yogurt covered raisins parfaits

10. Strawberry muffins

11. Cutie oranges

This year I am going to send these in with my son's valentines day cards. Not my original idea, I found it on Pinterest but LOVE it!!

If you want the template, email me and I will send it to you!
Brandi@ABCDEatRight.com

Holiday Fruit Mask for Healthy Holiday Parties is Here!

This festive penguin holiday mask will make your next classroom party or house party healthy and fun. 

Print out the free downloadable mask templates at: http://www.abcdeatright.com/ABC/about.html  . 

Cut out the masks and tape them around an apple, an orange, a plum or any other whole fruit. 

Have fun and enjoy a healthy and safe holiday! 

Share your pictures on our facebook page at: ABCD Eat Right 

What are you bringing to the classroom holiday party?

December is flying by and coming up are the exciting holiday parties to commence the holiday break. What will you bring to your child's holiday party? Here are some ideas to incorporate holiday colors with fruits, vegetables, protein and calcium without all the sugar, colors and additives. 

Christmas (Winter Festival) 

Work to include the traditional colors of the season: red, green and blue.

1. Blueberry, strawberry and spinach smoothie

2. Vegetable trays with cucumbers, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and tomatoes with a low fat veggie dressing

 3. Red and apple slices with flavored yogurt dip or nut butter and cream cheese spread on top

4. Dried or shelled edamame

5. Desert dessert (Graham cracker with a layer of nut butter topped with a floret of broccoli)

6.  Mini sandwiches cut out into cookie cutter shapes

7. Red and green grape kebabs

8. Trail mix (crackers, yogurt covered pretzels, yogurt covered raisins, dried cranberries, blueberries or strawberries, dried edamame)

9. Hummus dip with pita bread cut into shapes, broccoli and tomatoes for dipping (hummus can also be combined with cooked beets to add a red color)

10. Popcorn balls with dried strawberries.

For more ideas for the home party visit a recent article I wrote on Education.com!