Summer Snacks to Enjoy (Before the Summer’s Over!)

By Michelle Mady

August always brings those hotter-than-hot temperatures, and if there’s anything I do not want to do, it’s turn on the oven. There’s no amount of fans and air conditioning that can create the “yuck” air of summer. So on the hottest days this summer, we have a “snack dinner.”

These dinners consist of a buffet-style meal. Everyone grabs a plate and passes around a bunch of summer-friendly snacks and takes whatever peaks their interest. Sometimes these snacks are all healthy choices; sometimes there is a treat involved. And, I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s whatever is in the cabinet and fridge that I need out!

Sometimes these snacks are all healthy choices; sometimes there is a treat involved. And, I’ll be honest, sometimes it’s whatever is in the cabinet and fridge that I need out!

If you are in need of a snack-dinner situation, or just looking for a different take on summer snacks, check out my go-to list to keep kids fed before summer comes to an end.

Fruit Kabobs

Grab any fruit you have on hand or grab a few extra to have on hand on your next trip to the grocery store. Put each type of ready-to-eat fruit in a bowl and hand over some skewers to the kids! They can fill their plates up with any fruit they want and make their own little kabobs. There are great options for toddler safe skewers, and imagine their delight to prep their own snack.

Yogurt Snacks

Yogurt is a nice, cool treat for a sunny day. But what about a parfait? Throw in some blueberries and sprinkles and you have a super fun treat. For added cool down, spread some yogurt on a plate or baking sheet and put some plain fruit on top. Toss it in the freezer for a few hours and you’ll have a healthy frozen yogurt bark to break into pieces and snack on.

Salad Bar

Salad might not be on your child’s list of favorite foods. However, if you deconstruct it, much like the fruit kabobs, and present it a bit differently, it can be really fun. Have options like cut vegetables and lettuce. But add in some fun toppings, like bacon crumble, sunflower seeds, croutons and raisins. Don’t forget the dressing!

Popsicles

Turn any fruit or vegetable into a popsicle. Puree some leftover fruit from fruit kabobs and put them into a popsicle mold for a frozen breakfast the next day. Shred some veggies and toss them in the molds with some juice. These guilt-free desserts can easily become part of a full meal.

Dippin’ Trays

Everything's better when it’s dipped! Put some peanut butter in a small bowl and mix it up with a bowl of Nutella, too! Then put them out with some pretzels, crackers and pita chips for a sweet snack to graze on during a lazy summer day.

Summer can make it too hot to do much of anything, but with these easy (and cool) options, everyone can be happily fed without even touching the oven!

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