Deliciously fun and nutritious!
There is nothing better than freshly picked strawberries, so when they’re in season, bring some home. They are not only sweet and delicious, but also loaded with immune-boosting vitamin C. Strawberries make a great snack on their own, or you can add a dose of antioxidants by making Chocolate Ladybugs, a low-fat treat that takes just minutes to create. We use semi-sweet chocolate chips to create the spots on our “bugs.”
Hands-On Fun: Kids can halve strawberries using plastic knives with adult supervision, and can press in chips!
Warning: Your child will probably start eating the chocolate chips first, but once she does the fun food activity and tastes the “ladybug,” the strawberries will disappear quickly, too!
Recipe: Chocolate Ladybugs courtesy of Appetite for Life: Thumbs-Up, No-Yucks Guide to Getting Your Kid to Be a Great Eater, HarperOne, 2012.
Ingredients:
5 medium strawberries
20 semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
- Cut leaves and tops off strawberries, then cut each strawberry lengthwise in half.
- With fingers, gently push 2 chocolate chips, pointy side down, into rounded side of each strawberry half to create the ladybug’s spots.
Makes 2 servings (5 strawberry halves per serving).
Nutrition Facts per serving: 35 calories; 1.5g fat (1g sat fat, 0g trans fat); 0mg cholesterol; 6g carbohydrate (1g fiber, 5g sugar); 1g protein; 0mg sodium; 30% Daily Value (DV) vitamin C.
– Stacey Antine, MS RD, author, Appetite for Life, founder, HealthBarn USA, co-host, Family Food Expert Internet Radio Show, and recognized as top 10 dietitians nationally by Today’s Dietitian magazine for her work with HealthBarn USA.
