When it comes to feeding your kids, are you looking for some healthy snack options that don’t require a ton of prep?
If you have a garden, these snacks could be waiting right outside you door!
And best of all, most of these take little to no prep to go from garden to table!
(Although, I would recommend washing any dirt off first. Otherwise it might get a little crunchy…)
Here are 10 snacks you can find in a garden (either yours or someone else’s, like at a farmer’s market)
1. Radishes
“Fire carrots”, as my husband has nicknamed them, radishes make an excellent spring time snack (especially before the hot summer weather gives them a spicier flavor).
As a bonus, they’re ready only a few weeks after they’re planted. Just wash them off, cut off the tops with their prickly leaves, and add a dash salt if you wish.
2. Carrots and Hummus
Where I live in the midwestern United States, I don’t know if you can grow garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas), but you can definitely grow carrots and dip them in hummus for an extra burst of flavor.
Bonus points if you make the hummus yourself.
Bonus bonus points if you roast garlic or red bell peppers from your own garden to flavor it.
3. Peppers and Ranch
Speaking of peppers, in the raw state, they make an excellent dipper for hummus, as mentioned above, or for other dips such as ranch, French onion, Or dill – flavored dips.
Really any kind of veggie that tastes goods raw can be paired with a homemade dip for a quick healthy snack that’s better for you than prepackaged snacks.
4. Watermelon
The iconic summer treat, watermelon is perfect for a day at the beach, a backyard barbecue, or just because.
If you live it a climate where you can grow your own watermelons, you’ll soon learn just how much flavor homegrown ones have compared to their store-bought counterparts.
5. Berries
Nature’s candy.
Berries are perfect for a snack because you can just grab a handful and plop them in your mouth, unlike many other fruits that require you to take off either the outside peel or the inside core.
Berries are also an excellent way to add color to your diet with their wide range of pinks, reds, purples, and blues.
6. Celery and Peanut Butter
With the addition of raisins or chocolate chips (my personal preference), this snack becomes the childhood favorite, Ants on a Log.
“Ants” or not, this snack contains protein and sweetness from the peanut butter and crunchiness from celery, making it a good pick-me-up for a mid-afternoon snack.
7. Snap Peas
One of just a few of these fresh from the garden snack that you can pop into your mouth straight off the vine, no wonder snap peas are a favorite of children and adults alike!
Try them with any of the dips lists in point #3 above, or just by themselves.
If you’re looked for a way to enjoy snap peas that’s not a snack, they’re an excellent addition to stir fries!
8. Cherry Tomatoes
As the name implies, these little fruits (yes, I said fruits) pack a lot of flavor in a little package.
Just grab a few and pop them in your mouth just like berries!
9. Cantaloupe
Like watermelon, cantaloupe takes a little more prep work to enjoy than some of the other snacks on this list, but the extra work is worth it.
Enjoy it by itself or as a colorful addition to your fruit salad!
