The trouble with heading back to school is that it invariably happens when it still feels like summer. And sitting inside a hot classroom on a sunny summery day can be a total downer.
While you can’t do much about the weather or school calendar, you can offer your little ones a few cool and refreshing after-school treats to help them beat the back-to-school blues.
Start them off with a frosty glass of watermelon lemonade, a sweet and refreshing drink you can feel good about serving. It’s nothing more than watermelon, ice, lemon juice and a splash of honey blended until thick. And feel free to add frozen strawberries, raspberries or other fruit for an even thicker slushy-like drink.
Then move on to some ice cream so healthy I sometimes serve it to my son for breakfast.
You do need a food processor to make this frozen fruit-based treat, but the result is similar to soft-serve. And since it has no added sugar, I don’t feel guilty about letting my son add candy sprinkles to complete the ice-cream effect.
When I make this recipe, I usually use organic mango, which typically is sold in 10-ounce bags. Conventional mango often is sold in 12-ounce or larger bags. Don’t worry about the extra; this recipe is particularly forgiving. If you find it too thick, simply add water, orange juice or lemon juice until you get the consistency you want.
Frozen grapes are a great treat on their own, too.
To freeze, wash fresh grapes, then arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet or pan. Freeze until firm, then transfer to a bag or container for longer storage.
Both recipes also include a pinch of salt. While not essential, the salt goes a long way to heightening the natural sweetness of the fruits.
Fruit dippers kick up the fun
Maybe you need another idea for packing fiber and vitamins into your child’s lunch. Or maybe you’re trying to persuade yourself to eat more fruit. Either way, making a dip (or three) to dunk your fruit in can make it a little more enticing and a lot more fun.
In constructing a healthful dip for fruit, the main problem lies in the base of the dip.
You want something that doesn’t pile on the fat or sugar but still is interesting enough that you want to dunk your apple wedges and strawberries in it.
We wanted to create a creamy base that could be easily flavored. For obvious reasons, the full-fat versions of cream cheese and sour cream were out. Greek-style yogurt has a great mouth feel and creaminess, but some people find it overwhelmingly tart. So we opted to use low-fat cream cheese blended with nonfat Greek yogurt. The result is creamy and luscious and is a perfect base for flavorings. As a bonus, it’s also a great way to get calcium.
Sandwiches ditch the bread
Lunchbox sandwiches don’t have to default to ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly.
There are plenty of options to mix things up and keep them interesting. Ditching the sliced bread is a good place to start. Consider making sandwiches on a piece of baguette (or multiple smaller sandwiches on thin baguette slices). Or if crusty bread isn’t your kid’s thing, try folding or rolling the fillings in a piece of lavash or naan flatbread.
Also get creative with fillings. Sliced meats can be combined with yogurt or cream-cheese spreads, and cucumber sandwiches can be made more nutritious and filling by adding hummus.
Alison Ladman of The Associated Press contributed to this story.
