Desserts

Healthy Banana Split

Ingredients: 1 banana 3 tsp Greek yogurt 2 slices of strawberries 3 blueberries Directions: Cut the banana lengthwise. Place one of the halves on the plate, cut side up. Spoon yogurt onto the banana to cover. Place strawberry slices and blueberries on top of yogurt. Tip: Have the kids make their own banana split. It’s a great way to get them to practice fine motor skills and to have fun in the kitchen!   Adapted from: http://school-bites.com/healthy-valentines-day-treats-school-party/

Lentil Granola Bars

Ingredients: 2/3 cup shredded coconut 2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats 1 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup pellet-like bran cereal 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3/4 cup lentil puree* 1/2 cup canola oil 1 egg, beaten 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, dried cranberries or raisins   Directions:  Preheat oven to 350F. Make sure rack is in centre of oven. In medium bowl, mix coconut, oats, brown sugar, cereal and cinnamon. Add lentil purée, oil, egg, and vanilla. Mix until dry ingredients are just moistened. Spread over a 10 ½ x 16 (25 x 40 cm) non-stick cookie sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. While bars are still warm, add chocolate chips, dried cranberries or raisins on top and cut into 35 bars.   *Lentil Puree: Rinse and drain a 19-ounce can of lentils. Place in food processor, add ¼ cup hot water, and puree until the mixture is very smooth, adding more water in small amounts to reach desired consistency, similar to baby food, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of the bowl as needed. Refrigerate or freeze unused lentil puree for your next batch!   Recipe adapted from: Pulse Canada

Edible Santa Claus

Ingredients: Pancake or toast without crust (face) Raspberries or sliced strawberries (hat and nose) Sliced bananas (eyes and beard) Blueberries (center of eyes) Yogurt and unsweetened shredded coconut (pompom and hat border) Small plate for each child Butter knife for each child Plastic wrap to cover Santa Claus and share with families Directions: Read a story related to the theme. Teach children about fruit portions with the help of the Canada’s Food Guide. Ask questions about what children know and would like to know about fruit. Make a brainstorming list with them. Sing and dance to the theme. Add empty clean strawberry/blueberry/raspberry containers in the block play area and the drama play area (kitchen corner). Invite children to wash hands and sit down to each prepare a Santa Claus. Teach children how to use a knife and cut a banana on their plate. Let children be guided by their creativity (they do not need to make a Santa if they rather make a Christmas tree for example.) They can choose to place the fruit where they want on their plate. Invite Santa Claus or an elf to come and talk about healthy eating. Take photos during the project and post them on walls. Invite children to also take pictures. During “Circle Time” ask children what they have learned and document their learning. Invite them to draw what they have learned. Share with parents and co-workers. Make your own bread crumbs by saving and drying out bread ends and crusts Get the children involved in the kitchen by grating the zucchini and cheese, mixing, measuring and forming the patties.   Source: Blessed Beyond Crazy

Grinch Fruit Kabobs

Ingredients: Mini marshmallows Strawberries, tops sliced off Banana, peeled and sliced Green grapes Toothpicks Instructions: First wash and cut your fruit. On each toothpick, assemble your kabob as follows: one mini marshmallow, one strawberry, one banana slice, and one green grape. Enjoy!   Recipe adapted from: MOMables.com

Banana muffins

What you need: 1 cup of whole wheat flour 1 cup of quick-cooking oatmeal ½ cup of packed brown sugar 2 tsp. of baking powder 1 egg ½ cup of skim or 1% milk 1 cup of mashed banana ¼ cup of vegetable oil Non-stick cooking spray How to: Pre-heat oven to 400⁰F (200⁰C) Lightly spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or use paper baking cups. In a large bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, beat the egg and mix in the mashed banana, milk and vegetable oil. Stir the banana mixture into the dry ingredients and mix lightly. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until muffin tops are browned. Loosen muffins and serve warm. Makes 12 medium-sized muffins   Reference: LEAP Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 158.

Bony Fingers

Ingredients: Mozzarella string cheese sticks 1 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded Instructions: Cut string cheese sticks in half. With a paring knife, shape each stick to resemble fingers. Cut an indentation for the fingernails and carve “knuckle wrinkles.” Spread a small amount of cream cheese in each indent. Cut fingernail shapes out of the bell pepper; place a “nail” to each fingertip. Chill, covered, until ready to serve.   Recipe adapted from: A Little Lunch

Banana Ghost Pops

Ingredients: Bananas Yogurt Coconut Chocolate chips or raisins Instructions: Peel bananas and lay them flat on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer for a few hours. Once frozen, cut each banana into thirds. Put a toothpick or popsicle stick in one end of each banana. Dip banana into yogurt, making sure it is covered all the way around. Roll in coconut on all sides. Use fingers to push coconut on if needed. Once banana is covered in yogurt, place 2 chocolate chips or raisins on for eyes. Push them in good so they will stay. Enjoy! If not eating right away, place ghost bananas on cookie sheet and put them in the freezer to avoid the banana from getting soft and mushy.   Recipe adapted from: Super Healthy Kids

Edible Eyeballs

Ingredients: Carrots Cream cheese Pitted black olives Instructions: Slice carrots into 1-inch-thick chunks. Top each with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a pitted black olive. Serve and enjoy!   Recipe adapted from: Family Fun Magazine

Tangerine Pumpkins

Ingredients: Tangerines, mandarin oranges or clementines (seedless) Celery stalks and leaves Instructions: Peel tangerines, use your fingernail or a small paring knife to scrape off as much white membranes as possible. Wash, dry and slice celery. Cut 1-2 inch narrow pieces from the tops of the celery and insert into the peeled tangerines. Cut leaves from the celery tops and arrange to look like pumpkin leaves. Recipe adapted from: BrenDid.com

Cool berry smoothies

What you need: 1 cup of frozen berries 1 cup of milk 1 cup of vanilla or lemon yogurt ¼ tsp. of cinnamon 2 tbsp. of sugar How to: Place berries, milk, yogurt, cinnamon and sugar in the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve into four tumblers or put in the fridge. Serves four children Reference: LEAP Food Flair, Legacies Now, p. 132.

Double Chocolate Black Bean Brownies

Grand Price Winner – 2016 Healthy Start Recipe Challenge What you need: 2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed* 1½ cups whole wheat flour 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp. salt 6 large eggs 2 cups granulated sugar ½ cup unsweetened applesauce ¼ cup canola oil 4 tsp. vanilla ½ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips How to: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pans (or one larger pan) with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang at opposite ends. Lightly spray foil with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine beans, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. With a wooden spoon, beat in eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 40 minutes or until just a few moist crumbs cling to a tester inserted in the centre. Do not over-bake. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Using foil overhangs as handles, remove from pan and transfer brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares. *To mash beans, put in food processor. Add a little water if it won’t purée. Submitted by: Playcare Children’s Services Inc, Kindersley, SK Recipe modified from Ontario Public Health Association, Nutrition Resource Centre: Bake it up!  

Fresh Fruit Roll Ups

Third Place Winner – 2016 Healthy Start Recipe Challenge What you need: 3 cups any fruit Sugar to taste How to: Preheat oven to 170°F. Cover cookie sheet with parchment paper. Blend ingredients until smooth. Poor mixture onto cookie sheet. Spread it out evenly. Bake at 170°F for 6-8 hours until center isn’t sticky. Let cool. Cut and eat. Submitted by: Hope’s Home, Prince Albert, SK

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