Today's guest post is by Leslie Vandever.
Summer: the season of family fun-in-the-sun has arrived! When
the weather is warm and friendly, a variety of energetic activities—both indoors
and outdoors—are high on everyone’s list of priorities. Nutrition on the run
can be tricky with kids. It’s not only hard on the pocketbook, it can also be
tough to find healthy, natural snacks and meals away from home.
With just a little planning, however, eating on the run can
be simple and fun. And the amount of effort you spend on prep is entirely up to
you.
Food in Nature’s
Packaging
The easiest foods for snacks and meals are the ones that
Mother Nature came up with. They don’t require any (or much) preparation, and you
can eat them directly out-of-hand:
·
apples
·
grapes
·
bananas
·
blueberries
·
orange sections
·
tangerines
·
celery sticks
·
red, yellow, and orange bell peppers
First, be sure to wash all fruits and vegetables before
serving.
You can eat apples just as they are, but to make them
easier for small hands, teeth, and appetites, peel (or not—the peels add
extra-healthy fiber and nutrients) and slice them into thin wedges, then pack
into easy-to-carry, recycled containers or plastic bags. Mixing green apples
with red and yellow varieties with their peels on makes them even more colorful
and appealing. If you have time to pack a small, lunch-sized cooler to carry
them in, that’s great. But they’ll keep for several hours tucked into a purse
or tote, too.
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are surprisingly crunchy
and sweet, perfect for pint-sized tastes and appetites.
Try freezing fruit, such as grapes, before packing. Not
only will they stay cool and refreshing as they thaw, they’re also delicious
and fun to eat still frozen. Bananas cut into bit-size pieces and frozen solid
are a sweet, creamy, incredibly ice-cream-like surprise. Frozen bell peppers
are also crunchy and yum.
Natural, Nutritious,
Crunchable Nuts
Nuts have to be one of the best and most portable snacks
for kids and adults alike. Better, they’re also amazingly healthy. If you buy
them in bulk at your local health-food store or in the health-food section at
the grocery store, they’ll be a little less expensive—and a lot healthier.
If you like your nuts—almonds,
hazelnuts, pistachios, for instance—spiced, you can add it at home. (Not
peanuts, though. They soften when heated, so they’re not a good candidate for
seasoning.)
Just coat the nuts—lightly—in a little bit of canola or
coconut oil, drain, toss and coat in your seasoning of choice. Spread the nuts out
in a single layer on cookie sheets, and toast them in a preheated, 250-degree
oven for about 45 minutes, turning the nuts every 15 minutes or so. Store in an
air-tight container for up to three weeks. Try garlic powder, curry powder, cinnamon, Chinese five-spice, or whatever tickles your
fancy.
Be Ready to Rumble
You’re always on the go, ready to roll to the softball or
soccer game, the zoo, the local swimming pool, and even to the library. Cut up
your fruit and vegetable snacks ahead of time and freeze them, ready to grab,
drop into a tote or a mini-cooler, and hit the road. Keep nuts and other
snacks, like wholegrain crackers, in airtight containers, ready to pour into
plastic bags or other, smaller containers for travel. Keep a roll of paper
towels, moistened towelettes, and an extra bag for trash in the car.
Oh! And have a terrific—and healthy—summer!
Leslie
Vandever is a professional journalist and freelance writer with more
than 25 years of experience. She lives in the foothills
of Northern California. The opinions shared are entirely her own.
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