Help it’s a snack attack! 7 healthy snack foods perfect those hungry kids on a Frio vacation

You’ve packed the bathing suits and the suntan lotion, the towels and everything else from the 4-page list you’ve made for your entire family in anticipation for your upcoming trip to the Frio.  Meals have been planned to a tee and as you arrive at your first night at Rustic Retreat, you feel that you’ve got everything well in hand.  And then it happens.  The next day comes and with it your first fun-filled day of swimming and tubing at the Landing.  The water and cola are in the cooler and after a hearty breakfast, you depart for the fun. Enjoyment ensues and you’ve been swimming and enjoying the cool waters of the Frio when the children descend upon you ravenous from all the physical activity they’ve been engaged with and you have prepared for everything else but the constant- SNACK ATTACKS!

Yes, the dreaded ‘snack attack’!  Children can’t get enough snacks when they’re in constant motion but fear not we have a list of recipes ideas that are sure to make you the greatest defender against snack attacks the universe has ever known, or at least your family has ever known.

7 Snack Attack Defender Recipe Ideas

1.  Goldfish Crackers

Make your own delicious batch of these little goldfish, but don’t let them loose in the Frio because they don’t look like very good swimmers!  

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (120g) plain flour (note 1)
8 oz (220g) sharp/ extra sharp cheddar cheese – shredded (note 2 & 3)
60g unsalted butter, cold (cut into cubes)
¼ -½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons cold water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into the flour until it forms coarse crumbs.
2. Add salt to mix together.
3. Add shredded cheese and cut into the mixture.
4. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Use hand to form dough and divide into 2 portions. Wrap them in plastic and chill for 20 minutes (or longer).
6. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line baking trays with parchment papers.
7. Take out one portion of the dough from the fridge. Work with one portion at a time. Place dough in between two sheets of wax paper or cling wrap. Roll dough out to 3mm (1/8 in) thickness. Cut out shapes with your choice of cookies cutters (note 4) and transfer to baking tray.
8. Use chopstick or toothpick to make the eye balls, and the prong of a fork (I used crab forks) to carve a curvy lip. (This step is optional)
9. Gather all the trimmings and re-roll. Repeat until all the dough is used up.
10. Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes, until the crackers are crispy and golden around edges. Timing will vary according to size and shape of your crackers. Cool for 10 minutes on baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:

1. You can substitute it with 50-100% whole wheat flour.
2. Shred the cheese finer than what is shown in the photo so that you can easily cut them into the mixture.
3. Get orange cheese if you can.
4. If you have food processor, pulse everything (except water) together until the dough resembles coarse sand. Then follow with step 4.
5. Thinner dough means crispier crackers; thicker dough means puffier, more bread-like crackers. But, the dough must not be too thin or else the crackers will be difficult to handle.
6. If you don’t have cookie cutter, you can use a pizza cutter or knife to score the desired shapes. Refer to THIS POST.
7. Crackers will turn soft pretty fast even they are kept inside an airtight container. Best to be eaten immediately or within a day or two. To extend them for a week or so, I keep them in the fridge. Lightly warm them up in the toaster oven when I want to eat them.

Homemade Goldfish Crackers

2.  Granola Bars

3. Mini Pancakes or Waffles  

Planning to make pancakes or waffles for breakfast at the Rustic Retreat cabin?  How about making some extras and turning those into little mini sandwiches so you can save on bread while you’re swimming at the Landing.

PB&J Pancake Sammies –  Spread half the pancakes with a layer of peanut butter (or favorite nut butter) and the other half with a layer of grape jelly (or other fruit jellies). Put the halves together and pack in resealable plastic bags.

Breakfast Waffle-wichesToast the waffles and top half of them with thin slices of banana. Drizzle on maple syrup and place the remaining waffle halves on top. Pack waffle-wiches inside an airtight container along with a napkin to catch any syrup drips.

Hint: Don’t be surprised if these sandwiches are a big hit with adults as well.  You may want to pack extras just in case!

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4.   Hummus

Loaded with vitamin B6, folate, and iron, creamy hummus is no ordinary dip. Plus, its thick consistency means less chance of messy spills.

Super Dip Pack hummus inside a small airtight container along with some pita chips, baby carrots, red pepper slices, and celery sticks for dipping.

Pita Pocket Stuff small whole-wheat pitas with hummus and thinly sliced cucumbers (or other sliced vegetables) for a pocket sandwich packed with protein and fiber. Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag to keep fresh.

6.  Make-Your-Own Fruit Leather

Making your own fruit leather is easy, with just a few tools. A Silpat is needed – it is a silicone baking mat that prevents delicate things from sticking as they bake. A kitchen scale is also key to weigh your fruit – this ensures accuracy and consistency for perfect fruit leather every time.

Frozen fruit, thawed, works best for fruit leather, in terms of consistency in texture, taste and bake time.

 INGREDIENTS

7 oz frozen raspberries7 oz frozen peaches1 tsp finely grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS  

1. Thaw the fruit in a strainer over a bowl, to allow any excess juices to run out.

2. Preheat the oven to 175ºF and line a large baking tray with a Silpat. Puree the fruits with the orange zest until smooth. Spread the puree evenly over the entire Siplat, taking care to make it as level as possible. Bake this for 4 to 5 hours, until dried but still pliable. Allow the fruit leather to cool, and then peel it off the Silpat and slice it into pieces.

3. The fruit leather will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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7.  Pretzel Sparklers

This particular recipe is for pretzel sparklers for “Canada Day” but we here at the Frio felt that the creative Texans reading this can give it a  Lone-Star makeover and we would love some pics when you do.  Share them on our facebook page and you’ll be the most famous pretzel maker in the world!  Well, not really, but we’d sure love to see your pics!

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups finely chopped white chocolate12 pretzel rods28.5 g cherry popping candy  

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat white chocolate in a double boiler set over medium heat. Keep over heat until chocolate is fully melted, about 5 minutes. Pour chocolate into a tall pint-sized glass.2. Dip one pretzel rod into white chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Sprinkle cherry popping candy onto pretzel rod while white chocolate is still wet. Set onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Continue with remaining pretzels. Tilt the glass of chocolate when necessary to allow tops of pretzels to fully immerse in chocolate.3. Heat red chocolate rounds in a double boiler set over medium heat. Keep over heat until chocolate is fully melted, about 5 minutes. Pour chocolate into a bowl. Dip the end of one pretzel rod into the red chocolate. Flip pretzel rod upside down to create a dripping effect with the chocolate. Hold pretzel rod still for 3 seconds to allow chocolate to set. Set onto a baking sheet lined with new parchment paper.4. Allow pretzels to set in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Read more at http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/canada-day-pretzel-sparklers/18516/#hFz0tbkhfcrc8U4s.99

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Special thanks for the recipes to:
Parents Magazine:https://www.parents.com/recipes/healthy-kids-snacks/easy-homemade-travel-snacks/
Food Network:http://www.foodnetwork.ca/canada-day/photos/easy-make-ahead-camping-snacks/#!vegan-no-bake-granola-bars-recipe
Image thanks to the same