Rolling into Healthy Snack Recipes

Healthy Summer Snacks

By: Lisa Cooper, MS, RD, LD/N

May is National Bike Month, and with the weather starting to heat up and the end of school right around the corner, now’s the time to start thinking about rolling into summer with healthy snacks for you and the kids in your life. Lisa Cooper, MS, RD, LDN, Dietitian, Community Relations at the Orlando Health Center for Health Improvement has organized several fun, easy to make, and healthy recipes that are quick to prepare and a great replacement for store bought snacks. Remember small choices can lead to a healthier you.

Peanut Butter Pinwheel

INGREDIENTS
Whole wheat tortilla
Peanut or almond butter
Honey (optional)
Banana

INSTRUCTIONS
Spread nut butter and honey on tortilla. Roll the banana up in the tortilla and slice into rounds.

Yield: Makes 24 small slices

Turkey & Cheese Wheel

INGREDIENTS
4 – Slices whole wheat bread
2 oz Turkey breast
1 – Avocado, mashed
2 oz Low fat Swiss cheese
½ Medium tomato
8 – Small skewers

INSTRUCTIONS
Trim crust from bread. Use rolling pin and flatten bread to ¼” thickness. Spread bread with mashed avocado on each slice. Top all 4 slices with turkey & cheese. Tightly roll up each piece of bread and slice in 4 wheels for a total of 16 wheels. Thread 2 wheels on to each skewer. Place tomato cut side down on plate. Insert skewers into side of tomato to create “spokes” on a wheel.

Pancake Roll-Ups

INGREDIENTS
Pancake Mix
Banana
100% fruit spread

INSTRUCTIONS
Make pancakes according to package directions, adding a little water to make the pancakes thinner. Spread a thin layer of fruit spread on pancake, add banana and roll. Cut roll into small wheels.

Apple Racers

INGREDIENTS
Apples of any kind or color (1 apple makes 6 cars)
1 Bag Pretzel Sticks (2 sticks per apple slice)
1 Bag Red or Green Grapes (2 grapes per car)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut apples into 6 slices removing seeds and core
2. Cut grapes in half width wise (short)
3. Insert pretzel sticks into apple for wheel spokes
4. Place grapes on the ends of the pretzel sticks to create car wheels

Snack Cars

INGREDIENTS
Pretzel sticks
2% Mozzarella string cheese
Grapes

INSTRUCTIONS
Cut string cheese into ½” pieces. Thread 2 cheese pieces on to the 1 pretzel with enough room on each end of the pretzel to add a grape. Add 2 grapes to each end of the “wheel axles”. Use 2 pretzel sticks to connect the two axles by sticking the pretzel into the cheese of each axle.

May’s theme is “Rolling into Summer”, so let’s keep sharing our recipes with each other to enjoy summer healthier together.

About the Author

Lisa Cooper specializes in prevention and wellness at the Orlando Health Center for Health Improvement. She is a registered and licensed dietitian with a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University.