If your kids are still noshing on their stocking loot (how is there still more?!), you’re probably wanting to cut back on sugar in other areas of their food life. And if you ate as much as I did this holiday, you may be wanting to cut back on sugar in your own diet too.
School lunch and after school snacks — or late night snacks for parents — are a common culprit for added sugars and high fructose corn syrup, so I’ve found seven sweet snack recipes that come together in a snap and use natural sugars rather than added processed ones. And they’re so tasty that kids might even forget about their post-holiday stash. At least for a few minutes.
Top: Apple Chips | Peckish Me
Related: On-the-go gluten-free snacks: 5 delicious ideas that are more than just carbs.
I’m blown away that this divine-looking Chocolate Avocado Pudding at Momables contains no added sugar. Instead, it takes advantage of the natural sweetness of bananas and the buttery texture of avocados to make something that’s sure to taste a lot more decadent than it is calorie-wise.
If your kids want sweet and salty, or just change their minds a lot (sound familiar?), try these Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries at Weelicious. Requiring four ingredients and only five minutes of prep, it doesn’t get much simpler — or more delicious — than this.
This Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie at Gimme Some Oven can totally pass for a milkshake, which makes it an automatic winner in my book. Plus, I love that it’s packed with natural sources of protein, so it’ll give kids the boost they need to make it to dinner without using any of the expensive or hard-to-find supplements sometimes found in smoothies.
Related: Our favorite yogurts to buy for easy school day breakfasts and snacks (lunches and desserts too).
Naturally super sweet dates are the unsung hero in the battle against processed sugar, especially since they come with added nutritional benefits like fiber and protein. Amanda at Heartbeet Kitchen compares these Coconut Butter Stuffed Dates to coconut caramels, which is all the motivation I need to pick up some coconut butter the next time that I’m at the store. You can also try stuffing dates with cream cheese, ricotta, or either of those blended with coconut butter.
Be sure to make a few slices of this Strawberry Avocado Toast at Hummusapien since it’s bound to be gobbled up by kids and any adults in the vicinity. This recipe calls for a tiny bit of honey, which is natural and unprocessed, so we say go for it if you don’t mind. But if you’re serious about no added sugar, you can also just leave it out, especially if your strawberries are ripe. (And if not, try some other sweet fruit that is, like banana).
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Larabars | Chocolate Covered Katie
They may be marketed to adult women, but my nieces are always thieving my Larabars, so I have a strong suspicion they’d love these homemade Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Larabars at Chocolate Covered Katie that was included in our round-up of easy snacks for new moms. These are perfect if you like to prep snacks for the week on Sunday instead of making them the day of, or if you’re still working when the kids get home.
Related: 5 healthy 3-ingredient snacks that won’t ruin your kids’ appetites for dinner.
Cinnamon brings out the natural sweetness of whatever you add it to, which makes it the perfect spice for these simple, yummy Apple Chips at Peckish Me. To add a little more protein and even a little bit of added sweetness, try serving these with low-sugar yogurt or plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey on the side as a dip.
