Things to Eat - Easy, Healthy Snacks

I'm not always the best at healthy snacks, often I just throw out a box of cookies and call it a day. But my goal is to try harder. Either way, healthy is such a slippery concept and I'm not sure these snacks will fit everyone's definition. But at least, they're all better for you than potato chips.

So please help, we could use some new ideas. Any suggestions?? Trail mix and other things with peanut butter are always out for us . .

AFTER SCHOOL:

* Smoothies

* Parfaits with fresh fruit, granola, and yogurt

* Baked apples

* Popcorn

* Cinnamon maple caramel popcorn

* Homemade popsicles - We love everything in People's Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice, and Boozy Pops from Brooklyn's Coolest Pop Shop (though "healthy" might be somewhat of a misnomer).

* Apples with almond butter

* A big bowl of grapes on the counter (if I leave these out all afternoon, I'll find the grapes gone by dinner)

* Banana "soft serve"

* Fruit salad

* Mangoes (which deserve their own category because they really are so so yummy)

BEFORE DINNER:

* Kale chips (I've found these work best if I buy bags of prewashed kale).

* Edamame

* Peppers, cucumbers, and carrots

* Crackers and cheese

ON ADVENTURES:

* Raisins

* target="new"Somersault snacks

* Z Bars

* Pistachios

* Prepackaged bags of popcorn

* Bags of apple slices

Things to Make - WHO Bread

A few years ago I became enamored with the idea of homemade bread (after all, grocery store bread doesn't taste very good). But baking my own bread seemed somewhat cumbersome, plus I'm not the world's best baker. So my friends bought me a breadmaker for my birthday and I've grown rather attached to it. The girls enjoy pouring the ingredients into the pan and I like the simplicity of the whole process. For the last few months we've been snacking on SouleMama's WHO Bread (click here for recipe). My kids love it more than cookies, which I find incredible.

What about everyone else? Any good snack suggestions?

Oh and if you have a chance, I've been nominated for a creative mom blog award, so please vote for me. Here's the link - Top 25 Creative Moms - help me win! The other candidates listed are all pretty famous, so I could use some help!



ARTFUL PROJECTS AROUND THE WEB:

*Invisible ink made from lemon juice, who knew? What a fun (and easy) idea.

*I can't sew, but if I could, I would make a ton of these repurposed t-shirt scarves. So hip.

*LOVE these little monsters. LOVE! (link courtesy of Modern Parents Messy Kids).

*When F saw made by joel's flower building toy on the computer screen she kept asking if she could have one. Unfortunately, it isn't for sale and I'm not a carpenter. So imagine my excitement when I read about this woodwork-free version on the Frugal Family Fun blog. I can't wait to make our own.

*Of course, only the Artful Parent could make a baking soda volcano into a beautiful, all day art project.

*Tinker lab created a wonderful stamping project out of a cheap placemat. Such a great (and simple) idea.

*It's hard to believe this fort was once an ordinary cardboard box.