5 Snacks with 3 Ingredients or Less That Your Kids Can Make by THEMSELVES!
on Aug 27, 2020, Updated Jun 27, 2024
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Easy and healthy snack ideas that the whole family will love (and kids can make by themselves).
Giving kids autonomy in the kitchen is the best way for them to learn some essential life skills. If you teach them how to prepare a few simple snacks on their own, you are setting them up for success (and shortening the list of things that they ask you for).
Peanut Butter Honey Granola Bars and No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls are also easy recipes that kids can make with minimal assistance.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Theses Recipes
- They are so simple and easy that kids can do them on their own.
- All these snacks are healthy and nutritious.
- The ingredients in these recipes are all pretty affordable, especially if you buy produce when it’s in-season.
5 Healthy Snack Ideas
- Peaches and Cream Yogurt Popsicles: The only things you need are a ripe peach, a little yogurt, and some honey (if needed).
- Easy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits: Just open up a single-serving container of yogurt, add some granola and berries, and you have a super easy snack.
- 3 Ingredient Creamy Blueberry Smoothie: Greek yogurt, frozen banana, and frozen blueberries are combined for the easiest creamy smoothie around.
- Yogurt Ranch Dip: Pair this dip with your favorite seasonal veggies and all you need is some ranch dressing mix and Greek yogurt.
- Healthy Apple Dip: Some peanut butter, honey, and Greek yogurt make the best, fluffiest apple dip around.
Recipe FAQs
It’s up to you. Greek yogurt has more protein than regular yogurt. Vanilla yogurt usually has sugar added so I recommend plain yogurt and adding some honey or maple syrup if you want to control the amount of sugar.
Whatever you or your kids like the best. Baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and cucumber slices are all good options. This dip is also so good with pretzels.
Yes. You could cut them in the morning or the day before. Just be sure to soak the apple slices in a bowl with 1 c of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for 5 minutes to prevent them from turning brown.
Yep! All of these snacks are naturally gluten-free. Just be sure to check the individual ingredients that you use, especially the granola and ranch dressing mix if you are using store-bought versions, to be sure.
Expert Tips
- Prep a veggie box once a week. This makes it easier for your family (especially kids) to eat more vegetables when they make yogurt ranch dip.
- Buy the fruit for the smoothie and popsicles when it’s in-season and freeze some of it to use later.
- Make it easy for kids to access the ingredients in these snacks by putting them at their level in the cupboard, refrigerator, and/or freezer.
- Have your kids lead the clean-up that needs to happen after the snack is prepared.
How can I encourage my kids in the kitchen?
Begin with small things – like making parfaits, apple dip, and other healthy snacks – to set your kids up for success as they build their skills in the kitchen.
As a parent, it’s also important to let go of a few things so that your kids feel that it’s safe to experiment and learn in the kitchen.
Let go of the need to follow a recipe exactly (especially when it comes to little no-bake snacks like these). Give the kids freedom to play around with ingredients and amounts to see what they like.
Let go of the need to have a clean kitchen. Life and cooking are a bit messy, especially when you are new to it. Let your kids get a little messy without fear of you breathing down they necks. That being said, it’s also great to teach and help them learn how to properly clean up when done.
Let go of the need to do everything for them. I get it, I have FIVE KIDS, it’s often easier to just do things yourself. But, if you want your kids to learn new things, you’re going to have to let them do things on their own.
More Snack Recipes for Kids to Consider
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
5 Healthy Snacks with 3 Ingredients or Less That Your Kids Can Make by THEMSELVES!
Ingredients
Peaches and Cream Yogurt Popsicles:
- 1 small ripe peach
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- honey or maple syrup, to taste
Easy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits:
- 1/2 cup yogurt, or an individual serving cup
- granola
- berries, fresh or frozen
- honey or maple syrup, to taste if needed
3 Ingredient Creamy Blueberry Smoothie:
- 1/2 cup frozen banana
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- a little water, if needed to help it blend
Yogurt Ranch Dip:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons homemade ranch seasoning
- favorite veggies for serving, such as baby carrots, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and cucumber slices
Healthy Apple Dip:
- 1/4 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- honey, to taste
- apples for dipping
Instructions
Peaches and Cream Yogurt Popsicles
- Use a butter knife to cut the peach in half and remove the pit. Cut the peach into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Add the peach to a small bowl.
- Add the yogurt and stir to combine.
- Add honey or maple syrup to taste. You’ll want it to be a bit sweet.
- Stir well to combine.
- Add the mixture to a popsicle mold and then add a stick to the center.
- Freeze until frozen through, 12 hours or overnight.
- Run the outside of the popsicle mold under warm water to help release the popsicle.
Easy Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits
- Open the small container of yogurt, or if you are dishing from a larger container, place about 1/2 cup of yogurt in a small bowl.
- Top with granola and fresh or frozen berries.
- You can drizzle the top with a little honey or maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter.
- Eat right away so that the granola doesn’t get soggy.
3 Ingredient Creamy Blueberry Smoothie
- Get a parent’s help for this recipe since you are using a blender.
- Add the banana, blueberries, and yogurt to the bowl of your blender.
- Blend on high speed until well combined and smooth.
- If the mixture is too thick to blend, stop and add 1/4 cup or so of water to help loosen up the mixture. Return the lid and blend again until smooth.
- Serve right away while still cold.
Yogurt Ranch Dip
- In a small bowl add the yogurt and ranch mix. Stir to combine.
- Taste the dip and adjust the seasoning with additional ranch mix if needed.
- Serve with your favorite vegetables.
Healthy Apple Dip
- Add the yogurt, peanut butter, and honey to a small bowl.
- Use a fork to combine the ingredients well.
- Dip sliced apple into the mixture.
Notes
- Each of these recipes are written for a single snack serving so double or triple the recipes if you need more.
- Prep some of the ingredients in advance so they are ready to go, such as homemade granola, homemade ranch seasoning, and cut up the vegetables.
- Note that a blender is needed for the popsicle and smoothies recipes so be sure that your kids are old enough to handle that piece of equipment (or help them with that part).
- Nutrition information can’t be calculated for all 5 recipes in one recipe card. If you need to know that information, you can plug it into an app on your own.
