Snack right with raisins
Looking for healthy, kid-friendly ideas for breakfast, lunch and after school? With family schedules increasingly hectic during the school season, look no further than simple ingredients and easy preparation to create wholesome meals and snacks that kids will love.
This school year, get the kids involved in the food-making process. From breakfast to lunch, and after-school snacks, when children are involved in the preparation, they are much more likely to eat what they have helped to create.
Start the day off right with nutritious mini-muffins that taste like oatmeal raisin cookies. For lunch, try a healthful twist on PB&J with a peanut butter and raisin spread for sandwiches or wraps. After school, the spread doubles as a perfect snack when paired with graham cracker sticks and apple slices for dipping. For another healthy treat, create a scrumptious popcorn mix that can be eaten out of a big bowl or divided into individual snack bags and enjoyed throughout the week. Raisins are high in antioxidants and are a great way to incorporate fruit and fiber into kids’ diets.
Help kids develop healthy eating habits for life by trying these raisin recipes that are fun to make, yummy to eat and good for you, too — any time of day.
For more kid-friendly recipes and information on California Raisins, visit www.LoveYourRaisins.com.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Muffins
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 12 to 14 minutes
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg white
Preheat oven to 400°F and spray 18 mini-muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray. Stir together raisins and all dry ingredients in medium bowl. In separate bowl, mix together remaining ingredients and add to dry ingredients, stirring just until incorporated. Spoon into prepared muffin tins and bake 12 to 14 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Makes 18 mini-muffins
Note to parents: Kids can help by measuring and stirring in ingredients.
California Raisin Peanut Butter Spread
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup creamy peanut butter
Measure raisins and apple juice into small saucepan and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until raisins have absorbed all juice. Stir in honey and cinnamon; cool slightly. Stir in peanut butter. Spread onto graham crackers, bread, mini-bagels, apple slices or celery sticks.
Makes 1 2/3 cups
“Recipe Variations:
Raisin Peanut Butter Griddlers
Smear California Raisin Peanut Butter Spread on whole wheat bread, top with banana slices and brown in a skillet.
Note to parents: Just do the prep work and have your kids assemble the sandwiches.
Raisin Peanut Butter Tortilla Roll-Ups
Wrap California Raisin Peanut Butter Spread and banana slices in a whole wheat tortilla and serve in pinwheel slices.
Note to parents: Just do the prep work and have your kids assemble and roll the wraps.
Pumpkin Pie Popcorn Mix with California Raisins
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 2 to 5 minutes
1 bag low-fat microwave popcorn
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Butter-flavored non-stick cooking spray
1 cup raisins
1 package (5 ounces) glazed pecans
Prepare popcorn according to package directions; empty into large bowl and remove all unpopped kernels. Stir sugar and pumpkin pie spice together in small bowl. Spray popcorn liberally with cooking spray, tossing to coat evenly. Add raisins and pecans. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and toss until popcorn is well coated.
Makes 12 cups
Note to parents: Get your kids involved by having them toss the popcorn.
Find hundreds of printer-friendly recipes at spokane.net/recipes