Snack For School Or Home - Yogurt & Berry Dippers

Total prep time: less than 5 minutes

Canada's Food Guide Servings:

1 Milk and Alternatives (3/4 cup yogurt)
1/2 Vegetables and Fruit (1/4 cup of berries)

Sometimes bribery is required to get your kids to eat healthy food.  I have spent many nights telling my boys, “If you eat all of your broccoli, you can have ice cream for dessert”.  Thankfully they both love broccoli now and Big-A is more than happy to try new, healthy foods.  But there is the odd time when Big-A puts up a fight, wanting something ‘chocolatey’ after dinner instead of a bowl of fresh fruit.  Instead of traditional bribery, why not make healthy food FUN?  My boys love berries, and they love yogurt.  Separate, they can be boooring!  Why not try Yogurt & Berry Dippers?  It’s so easy, you’ll be serving up this healthy snack daily!

Simply fill a small child-friendly bowl with their favourite yogurt.  Wash and dry fresh strawberries, and cut into pieces suitable for your child’s age (Big-A likes them halved or whole, Lil-J's are cut into thin slices).  Place the berry slices in the yogurt, making a circle around the bowl.  Serve!



Lil-J enjoying his yogurt & berries and toast for breakfast.



Big-A gobbling up every last bit of berries & yogurt!



*TIPS*

1. Don’t stop with strawberries.  Drop washed blueberries into the yogurt, give your child a spoon and let them ‘fish’ for the berries in the yogurt.  Melon, bananas and peaches also pair well with yogurt.  Change it up to keep them interested.

2. Use any yogurt, plain or flavoured.  I prefer to use plain, Balkan yogurt.  I simply stir a tablespoon of honey into the yogurt to add sweetness.  Just remember not to serve honey to a child under 1 year of age.

3. Let your children help to prepare this snack.  The younger ones can help to wash and dry the berries, scoop yogurt out of the container and even stir in the honey.  Your bigger kids can help the little ones, and they may also want to try cutting up the strawberries or other fruit.

4. When I make this for an afternoon snack on the weekend, I add whole almonds to my bowl.  Granola would be a delicious addition as well.  This may encourage your little ones to add more nutrition to their bowls!