This festive Valentines Day themed mini muffin snack tray is sure to excite the kiddos about eating a balanced snack option
Hi Friends!
Snack boards and trays are on fire right now! It seems like every day I am following a new account on Instagram that specializes in snack boards or cheese trays. Most of these accounts are amazingly creative!
I am a huge fan of snack boards because they offer another option (or tool) to present food to the kiddos. They are an easy way to offer a balanced snack option with a variety of food groups present. Often times, mixing up the presentation style can help excite kids about foods they weren’t previously excited about.
Snack boards also help promote the idea of division of responsibility. You (the parent) chose the what, when, and where of feeding. Your child determines the amount and whether they eat. Alleviating the pressure of eating can also help relax a child during mealtime, which may help establish the groundwork for a healthy relationship with food.
I especially love the idea of using mini- or regular sized muffin trays as a snack board option. Mini muffin trays are usually able to feed one to two kids at snack time, however, a 12-count standard muffin tray could serve as a snack for multiple children. Muffin snack trays are great because you can serve up a random variety of foods based on what you have in the fridge or pantry. For optimal balance, aim to include at least one food option from the following groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy/protein.
In excitement for Valentine’s Day, I chose to include red and white-colored foods. Here are some red and white-colored food options I included:
Red-colored foods:
- Strawberries
- Tomatoes
- Heart-shaped gummies
- Could also include – watermelon, apples, beet chips, fruit roll-ups,
pomegrante
White-colored foods:
- Popcorn
- White cheese
- Yogurt covered raisins
- Could also include – cheese puffs, cereal, cauliflower, banana
Your Family’s Dietitian,
Here is a fun breakfast board I created a few years ago (before boards were so hot).