Cook’s Corner:

Recipes for Healthy Snacks

Compiled from Brush Up on Oral Health

Second Edition
Introduction
T hese recipes support children’s healthy growth and
development with ingredients that are fresh, low in fat,
and high in fiber. None of the recipes include added sugar.
The recipes can help early care and education programs meet
updated nutrition standards from the federal Child and Adult
Care Food Program, which call for meals and snacks served in
group settings to include a wide variety of fruits and vegetables,
whole grains, and limited sugar or saturated fat.
The cookbook is divided into recipes for dairy, fruit, vegetables,
and more. Each recipe includes a list of ingredients, directions, a
picture of the prepared recipe, and, where needed, safety tips.
Enjoy!

Cook’s Corner: Recipes for Healthy Snacks—Compiled from Brush Up on Oral Health (2nd ed.) offers simple
recipes for young children that can be made in Head Start programs or at home. The recipes originally
appeared in Brush Up on Oral Health issues published between 2012 and 2017.
This document was developed with funds from grant #90HC0013 for the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start, Office of Child Care, and
Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, by the National Center
on Early Childhood Health and Wellness. This resource may be duplicated for noncommercial uses without
permission.
This publication is in the public domain, and no copyright can be claimed by persons or organizations.
Table of Contents
Dairy Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vegetable Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Cheese in a Blanket. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Broccoli Cheese Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cheese Quesadillas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Confetti Dip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cheesy Fruit Crackers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Corn and Black Bean Salad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cheesy Red-Nosed Reindeer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Cream Cheesy Cucumber Bites . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Cheesy Snowmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Cucumber Bites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cottage Cheese and Apples. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Cucumber Hummus Rounds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Deviled Eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Cucumber Snakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Frozen Yogurt–Covered Blueberries . . . . . . . . . 8 Easy Cheesy Bean Dip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fruit and Cheese Flag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Gazpacho . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fruit Yogurt Ice Pops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Guacamole Dip. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Mummy Toast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Homemade Hummus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Pretzel and Cheese Broomsticks. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hummus Gobbler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart Sandwiches . . 11 Leprechaun Hats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Toasted Shamrock Rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Mini Pizzas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Yogurt Parfaits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Pinto Bean Tacos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Shamrock Chips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fruit Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Snowman Crackers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Apple Roll Ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tomato Salsa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Apple Sauce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Veggie Rainbow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chocolate-Banana Smoothies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Veggie Sushi Rolls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Frozen Bananas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Kiwi and Raspberry Flowers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Miscellaneous Recipes. . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Orange Slushes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Coconut Snowflakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Strawberry Hearts with Yogurt Dip . . . . . . . . . 17
Sunny Oranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Thanksgiving Pumpkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Watermelon Pizza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Watermelon Stars and Blueberries . . . . . . . . . . 19
 Dairy
Recipes
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Cheese in a Blanket
Ingredients
1 low-fat cheese stick
1 slice turkey
1 lettuce leaf, washed
1 teaspoon mustard
Directions
1. Wrap the turkey slice around the cheese stick.
2. Wrap the lettuce leaf around the cheese and turkey.
3. Dip the wrap into the mustard.

Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese
½ cup fat-free refried beans (optional)
2 tortillas, made with either corn flour or wheat flour
Directions
1. Put one tortilla on a large microwave-safe plate. Spread a layer of refried beans on the tortilla,
and sprinkle shredded cheese over the beans. (Note: If the beans are not included, then
sprinkle the cheese on the tortilla.)
2. Put the second tortilla on top of the cheese layer.
3. Cook in the microwave until the cheese is melted, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Before
serving, check to make sure that the cheese is not too hot.
4. Cut quesadilla crosswise into pizza-shaped slices.
Safety tip: If children are too young to read or follow written directions, they are too young to
use a microwave without supervision. An adult should slice the quesadilla.

5
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Cheesy Fruit Crackers

Ingredients
Whole wheat cracker rounds
Low-fat cream cheese
Strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces
Kiwi, peeled and cut into half circles
Directions
1. Spread cream cheese on the cracker.
2. Place a half circle of kiwi on top of the cream cheese.
3. Place a piece of strawberry on top of the kiwi.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Cheesy Red-Nosed Reindeer

Ingredients
Cheese slices, cut into triangles that are ¼- to ½-inch thick
Small pretzel twists
2 black olives, cut into small pieces
1 red pepper, cut into ¼-inch circles
Directions
1. Put one corner of the cheese triangle into the bottom
hole of the pretzel twist to make the first antler.
2. Put the other corner of the cheese triangle into the
bottom hole of the second pretzel twist to make the
second antler.
3. Add two black olive pieces onto the cheese to make the reindeer’s eyes.
4. Add the red pepper circle onto the cheese to make the reindeer’s nose.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

6
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Cheesy Snowmen
Ingredients
1½ pounds low-fat mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 thin pretzel sticks
3 tablespoons seedless blackberry preserves
4 grapes, cut in half
Directions
1. Break a pretzel stick in half and push each half into the
sides of one cheese cube for arms.
2. Put the blackberry preserves in a small plastic bag. Cut
a small corner off the bag, and squeeze small dots of
preserves to make a face.
3. Build the snowman with three cheese cubes, and put a grape half on the top cube for a hat.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients and cut the bag.

Cottage Cheese and Apples

Ingredients
½ apple
½ cup low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
Directions
1. Cut the apple into bite-size pieces and place in a small
bowl.
2. Mix the cottage cheese with the apple pieces.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

7
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Deviled Eggs
Ingredients
6 hardboiled eggs, peeled
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1⁄ teaspoon salt
8
1⁄ teaspoon black pepper
8
1 teaspoon paprika, for garnish (optional)
Directions
1. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise.
2. Scoop out the yolks and place in a bowl.
3. Place the egg white halves on a plate or platter.
4. Use a fork to mash the yolks into a fine crumble.
5. Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
6. Fill the egg white halves with a teaspoon of the yolk mixture.
7. Sprinkle each filled egg white half with the paprika (optional), and serve.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Frozen Yogurt–Covered Blueberries

Ingredients
One 8 oz. package of fresh or frozen blueberries
One 6 oz. container of low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt
Directions
1. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Push a toothpick in a blueberry and dip the blueberry
into the yogurt until it is covered.
3. Put the yogurt-covered blueberry onto the waxed-paper-
covered cookie sheet. Repeat this step until the cookie
sheet is full.
4. Put the blueberry-filled cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour or until the blueberries are
completely frozen.
Safety tip: An adult should supervise children’s use of toothpicks.

8
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Fruit and Cheese Flag

Ingredients
1 small watermelon, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 pound low-fat white cheese such as provolone,
mozzarella, or Monterey Jack, cut into small squares
1 quart blueberries
Directions
1. Place a small square bowl at the top left-hand corner of a
square plate or tray.
2. Arrange the watermelon and cheese pieces in alternating rows to form the stripes of a flag.
3. Put the blueberries in the bowl to form the stars of the flag.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Fruit Yogurt Ice Pops

Ingredients
2¼ cups low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt
½ cup fruit cut into chunks (such as strawberries, blueberries, or
raspberries)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
12 3-ounce paper cups and 12 pop sticks or 12 ice pop molds with
holders
Directions
1. In a blender, combine the yogurt, fruit, lemon juice, and
bananas; cover and process for 45 seconds or until smooth. Stir if necessary.
2. Fill the molds or cups with ¼ cup yogurt mixture; top with the holders, or insert the sticks
into the cups.
3. Freeze.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

9
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Mummy Toast
Ingredients
1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted
6 to 8 pieces low-fat cheese, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon pizza sauce with no added sugar
1 black olive, sliced
Directions
1. Spread the pizza sauce over the toasted bread slice.
2. Arrange the cheese on top of the pizza sauce.
3. Put the black olives on top of the pizza sauce for the eyes.
4. Put the mummy toast under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Pretzel and Cheese Broomsticks

Ingredients
4 low-fat mozarella string cheese sticks
8 thin pretzel sticks
4 chives or green onion tops, sliced in half lengthwise
Directions
1. Cut the cheese sticks in half.
2. Using a small knife, cut the bottom half of each cheese
stick into strips.
3. Push a pretzel stick into the uncut end of the cheese stick.
4. Wrap the cheese with the chive or thin strip of green
onion and tie a knot.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

10
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Strawberry Cream Cheese Heart

Sandwiches
Ingredients
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese
5 or 6 strawberries, chopped
1 slice whole wheat bread
Directions
1. Put the cream cheese and strawberries in a bowl. Mash
them with a fork until the mixture is smooth and pink.
2. Use a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut two heart shapes from the slice of bread. Use a
smaller heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a smaller heart shape from one of the heart-shaped
pieces of bread.
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the larger heart, and top with the smaller heart, so the
cream cheese mixture shows through.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Toasted Shamrock Rounds

Ingredients
1 green pepper
6 English muffin halves
6 thin slices of low-fat cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Wash and dry the green pepper.
2. Cut off the top of the green pepper and remove the seeds
from the inside.
3. Cut the green pepper crosswise near the pointed end to
get six thin shamrock shapes.
4. Cut the remaining green pepper near the stem into thin slices.
5. Toast the English muffin halves.
6. Put a slice of cheese and a slice of green pepper on top of each English muffin half.
7. Put the English muffins on a tray, then broil in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients and broil the English muffins.

11
 • DAIRY RE C IP E S •

Yogurt Parfaits
Ingredients
1 cup low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt
½ cup low-fat granola (optional)
1 cup fresh fruit (such as strawberries, bananas, blueberries, or
raspberries)
Directions
1. Wash and dry the fruit. If needed, slice the fruit into bite-size
pieces.
2. Put ¼ cup of the yogurt in the bottom of two small glasses.
3. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the granola over the yogurt in each
glass.
4. Put ¼ cup of the sliced fruit over the granola in each glass.
5. Repeat the layers.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

12
 Fruit
Recipes
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Apple Roll Ups

Ingredients
1 apple, cored and sliced into thin wedges
½ pound low-fat cheddar cheese, sliced thin
½ pound deli meat (such as beef, ham, or turkey), sliced
thin
Directions
1. Put a slice of cheese on an apple wedge.
2. Wrap a slice of meat around the cheese and apple.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Apple Sauce
Ingredients
6 apples, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
1. Put the apples in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Add the water.
3. Cover and microwave on high for 15 minutes.
4. Stir the apples.
5. Uncover and microwave until the apples are very tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Crush the apples with a fork or potato masher.
7. Add the cinnamon and stir into the apple mixture.
Safety tip: If children are too young to read or follow written directions, they are too young to
use a microwave without supervision. An adult should slice the ingredients.

14
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Chocolate-Banana Smoothies
Ingredients
1 medium-size ripe banana (one with a few brown spots
is perfect)
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
¼ cup low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup low-fat or fat-free milk
Directions
1. Put the banana, cocoa powder, yogurt, and milk into a
blender.
2. Cover the top of the blender and blend the mixture until it’s smooth.
3. Pour the smoothie into glasses.

Frozen Bananas
Ingredients
4 medium ripe bananas
4 tablespoons low-sugar peanut butter or low-fat or fat-free
plain yogurt
½ to 1 cup crushed unsweetened whole grain cereal
Ice pop sticks
Directions
1. Cut the bananas in half or thirds. Insert one ice pop stick
lengthwise through the center of each banana section.
2. Wrap the bananas on sticks in plastic wrap, and put them
in the freezer until the bananas are frozen, about 2 hours.
3. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter or yogurt over the bananas, and roll them in crushed
cereal.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

15
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Kiwi and Raspberry Flowers

Ingredients
1 kiwi, peeled
4 raspberries or other small round fruit (such as blueberries)
Directions
1. Cut the kiwi into ½-inch slices.
2. Use a small flower-shaped cookie cutter to cut each kiwi
slice.
3. Top each kiwi slice with a raspberry.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Orange Slushes
Ingredients
20 ice cubes
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt
2 cups orange juice
Directions
1. Put the ice cubes in the blender.
2. Add the vanilla extract, yogurt, and orange juice.
3. Blend on high for about 1 minute or until the drink is
well mixed.

16
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Strawberry Hearts with Yogurt Dip

Ingredients
1 pint fresh strawberries
½ cup low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt
Directions
1. Wash and dry the strawberries.
2. Cut each strawberry in half.
3. Use the tip of the knife to cut the top of the strawberry half in a
V-shape and remove the stem and leaves.
4. Put the yogurt in a bowl for dipping.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Sunny Oranges
Ingredients
1 orange, cut into thin slices
1 large carrot, cut into thin strips 1½ inches long
1 blueberry, cut in half
Directions
1. Place an orange slice on a plate.
2. Arrange the carrot sticks around the orange slice in
triangle-shaped rays.
3. Place the blueberry halves on the orange for eyes.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

17
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Thanksgiving Pumpkins
Ingredients
1 clementine, orange, or tangerine
2 celery stalks, cut into thin strips
Directions
1. Peel the clementine, orange, or tangerine.
2. Push a celery stick into the center of the clementine,
orange, or tangerine.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Watermelon Pizza
Ingredients
1⁄8-inch round from a medium-size watermelon
Fresh fruit (such as sliced bananas, kiwi, strawberries,
grapes, or blueberries)
Fresh mint, torn into small pieces (optional)
Feta cheese, crumbled into small pieces (optional)
Directions
1. Lay the watermelon round on a cutting board.
2. Add the toppings.
3. Slice the watermelon round into pizza-shaped triangles.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

18
 • F RUIT RE C IP E S •

Watermelon Stars and Blueberries

Ingredients
1 small seedless watermelon
1 pint blueberries, washed
Directions
1. Cut the watermelon into 1- to 1½-inch slices.
2. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut pieces out of the
watermelon slices.
3. Put a layer of the watermelon stars into a bowl.
4. Sprinkle the blueberries over the layer of watermelon stars.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the watermelon stars and
blueberries have been used.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the watermelon and supervise children’s use of the
cookie cutter.

19
Vegetable
Recipes
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Broccoli Cheese Bites

Ingredients
2 cups fresh broccoli, cooked and finely chopped
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cooking oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup dried bread crumbs
½ cup shredded cheddar, Colby-Jack, or Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Mix all the ingredients.
2. Shape the mixture into patties 1 inch in diameter.
3. Heat the oil in a skillet, then add the patties and cook until both
sides are crispy.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients and cook on the stove.

Confetti Dip
Ingredients
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup shredded cucumber
½ cup low-fat or fat-free plain Greek yogurt
¼ teaspoon garlic, chopped fine
1⁄ teaspoon salt
8
1 carrot, celery stalk, bell pepper, or other vegetable sliced into thin pieces
Directions
1. Put the carrots and cucumber, yogurt, garlic, and salt in a bowl and mix well with a fork.
2. Serve the dip with the vegetables.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients. For children under age 3, avoid foods that
may cause choking (for example, raw carrots). For children ages 3 to 5, modify these foods (for
example, chopping raw carrots into thin strips).

21
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can black beans
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 red pepper, chopped
2–3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1⁄ teaspoon chili powder
8

Directions
1. Put the black beans, corn, red pepper, red onion, and garlic in a large bowl.
2. Put the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix well with a fork or whisk. Pour over
the black beans, corn, red pepper, red onion, and garlic mixture.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cilantro and the chili powder.
4. Mix well.
Safety tip: An adult should chop the ingredients.

Cream Cheesy Cucumber Bites

Ingredients
3 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 slices whole wheat bread
¼ cucumber, cut into thin slices
Directions
1. Spread the cream cheese on one side of each slice of
bread.
2. Place the cucumber slices over the cream cheese on one slice of bread.
3. Put the other slice of bread, cream-cheese side down, on top of the cucumbers.
4. Cut the sandwich into bite-size pieces.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

22
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Cucumber Bites
Ingredients
1 cucumber, sliced into ½-inch rounds
¼ red, green, or yellow bell pepper, chopped fine
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
½ tablespoon powdered ranch dressing
Directions
1. Mix the cream cheese and ranch dressing.
2. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the cucumber slices.
3. Sprinkle the bell pepper pieces over the cream cheese mixture.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Cucumber Hummus Rounds

Ingredients
2 cucumbers, ends trimmed
1 cup hummus
½ cup red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
½ cup green onions, finely chopped (optional)
Directions
1. Slice the cucumbers into ¼-inch-thick rounds.
2. Spoon ½ teaspoon of hummus onto each cucumber slice.
3. Sprinkle the tops with the bell pepper and onion (if using).
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

23
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Cucumber Snakes
Ingredients
1 cucumber, sliced and cut in half
3 black olives, chopped into small pieces
½ red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
2 cups low-fat ranch dressing (¼ cup per serving) for
dipping sauce
Directions
1. Put 10 pieces of cucumber end to end in the shape of a snake.
2. For the eye, put one piece of bell pepper with one piece of olive on top of it on the first
cucumber slice.
3. For the tongue, put one piece of chopped bell pepper in front of the first cucumber slice.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Easy Cheesy Bean Dip

Ingredients
16-ounce can refried beans
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese (such as cheddar, Colby, or
Monterey Jack), divided in half
Directions
1. Place the refried beans and cream cheese in a medium-size microwave-safe bowl.
2. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. Stir the mixture; then cover and microwave on high for another 3 minutes.
4. Add ½ cup of cheese to the mixture and mix well.
5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the bean dip and serve with corn chips or fresh
vegetables.
Safety tip: If children are too young to read or follow written directions, they are too young to
use a microwave without supervision.

24
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Gazpacho
Ingredients
1 15½-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 cup tomato juice
1 small cucumber, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ to ½ teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
1. Mix the chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, cucumbers, onions, garlic, vinegar, hot sauce, salt,
and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Guacamole Dip
Ingredients
2 avocados
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
Juice from 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pits, and scoop the avocado out of each half.
2. In a bowl, mash the avocados with a fork.
3. Stir in the onion, garlic, tomato, and lime juice.
4. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Chill for ½ hour before serving with baked pita or tortilla chips.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

25
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Homemade Hummus
Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, cut into very small pieces
2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and
rinsed
2⁄ cup tahini (roasted, not raw)
3
1⁄ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed or bottled
3
½ cup water
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Put the garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, water, and olive oil in a blender or food
processor. Blend until smooth.
2. Add the salt and stir into mixture.
3. Serve the hummus with pita bread, crackers, or raw vegetables (such as carrots or celery), cut
into thin strips.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Hummus Gobbler
Ingredients
1 slice whole wheat bread
1 teaspoon hummus
1 red, yellow, and/or green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 carrot, cut into long and short sticks
1 black bean, cut in half (black olive pieces can be used as a
substitute)
Directions
1. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the bread into two 1-inch circles.
2. Spread the hummus onto one bread circle, and cover with the other circle.
3. Put the bell pepper strips around the top of the sandwich for feathers.
4. Put two long carrot sticks on the bottom of the sandwich for legs.
5. Put one short carrot stick on either side of each long carrot stick for feet.
6. Put a small piece of bread crust and a strip of bell pepper on the sandwich for the wattle.
7. Put the black bean halves on the sandwich for eyes.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients. For children ages 3 to 5, cut carrots into thin
strips.

26
 • V E G E TAB LE RE C IP E S •

Leprechaun Hats
Ingredients
1 cucumber
1 yellow bell pepper, cut in half
4 ounces low-fat cheese (such as mozzarella, provolone,
cheddar, or Monterey Jack), cut into thin strips
Directions
1. Cut ½ of the cucumber into two or three 1-inch sections.
2. Stand the cucumber sections up, and cut each section in
half to make the top of the hat.
3. Cut the other ½ cucumber into thin strips that are a little longer than the cucumber sections
to make the brim of the hat.
4. Cut the pepper into small squares.
5. Take one cucumber section, one strip of cheese, one cucumber strip, and one pepper square to
form a hat.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Mini Pizzas
Ingredients
24 whole wheat crackers
4 tablespoons pizza sauce
Pizza toppings (such as diced vegetables like mushrooms,
olives, or peppers, or cooked and cubed beef, chicken, or
ham)
1½ cups shredded low-fat cheese
Directions
1. Spread each cracker with ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce.
2. Put the pizza topping on top of the sauce.
3. Sprinkle the pizza topping with the low-fat cheese.
4. Put the crackers on a microwave-safe plate.
5. Microwave on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until the cheese melts. Before serving, check to make
sure that the cheese is not too hot.
Safety tip: If children are too young to read or follow written directions, they are too young to
use a microwave without supervision.

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Pinto Bean Tacos

Ingredients
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed
¾ cup salsa
8 taco shells
8 lettuce leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese
Directions
1. Mix the pinto beans and ½ cup of the salsa in a microwave-safe
bowl.
2. Microwave the mixed beans and salsa on high for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Spoon the bean mixture into the taco shells.
4. Top the bean mixture with the lettuce and cheddar cheese.
5. Serve with the remaining salsa.
Safety tip: If children are too young to read or follow written directions, they are too young to
use a microwave without supervision.

Shamrock Chips
Ingredients
2 or 3 spinach tortillas
Pinch of salt for each shamrock
Cooking oil spray
Low-fat ranch dressing
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Cut out seven or eight shamrocks from each tortilla.
3. Place the shamrocks on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking oil.
4. Sprinkle the salt across the shamrocks.
5. Cook the shamrocks for 5 to 6 minutes, checking often after 4 minutes to make sure they do
not burn.
6. Serve with low-fat ranch dressing.
Safety tip: To prevent burns, young children should not use a stove or oven.

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Snowman Crackers
Ingredients
1 box round whole wheat or rice crackers
1 package low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, cut into thin strips about ¼-inch long
1 red or orange bell pepper, cut into strips about ¼-inch wide
1 to 2 celery stalks, cut into short thin strips
Directions
1. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese onto three crackers.
2. Arrange the crackers to make a snowman.
3. Add black beans for eyes, a mouth, and buttons; a carrot for a nose; bell pepper for a hat; and
celery for arms.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
6 plum tomatoes
½ white or yellow onion
½ cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Dash of garlic powder or 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
Directions
1. Chop the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro into small pieces and mix together in a bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice and garlic powder or chopped garlic.
3. Mix all the ingredients together.
4. Serve with baked tortilla or corn chips.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

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Veggie Rainbow
Ingredients
1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, and 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
into thin strips
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup low-fat ranch dressing
Directions
1. Arrange one slice of each colored pepper strip on a plate
or in a bowl to form a rainbow.
2. Place one piece of cauliflower on each side of the rainbow to form a cloud.
3. Spoon 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing onto the plate or bowl for dipping.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

Veggie Sushi Rolls

Ingredients
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise with a potato peeler
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
1 green, red, or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 radish, cut into thick slices (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, broken into small stalks (optional)
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
Directions
1. Lay the zucchini strips on a flat surface.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon of cottage cheese onto one end of the zucchini strips.
3. Put a few of the sliced vegetables on top of the cottage cheese.
4. Roll up the zucchini strips with the cottage cheese and vegetables inside.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

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Miscellaneous
Recipes
 • MI S C E LLA N E OUS RE C IP E S •

Coconut Snowflakes
Ingredients
1 small whole wheat tortilla
Canola or vegetable oil (just enough to lightly brush on the
tortilla)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened coconut flakes
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Soften the tortilla in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Fold the tortilla into fourths. Use clean scissors to cut shapes in the tortilla, the same way you
would cut a paper snowflake.
4. Unfold the tortilla and place on a cookie sheet.
5. Lightly brush the oil on the top of the snowflake and sprinkle with cinnamon and coconut.
6. Bake for 4 minutes or until the coconut turns golden brown.
Safety tip: An adult should slice the ingredients.

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