Open Accessibility Menu
Hide

Make a Fun Snack

Published in Pediatrics, Weight Management, For the Health of It, Healthy Eating Tips Author: Andrew Maloney, MD

My kids and I love sharing a snack of “Ants on a Log.” This is fun to put together and fun to eat together, too.

Older kids can work on those knife skills cutting the celery pieces. Younger kids can spread the peanut butter and the youngest can put on the raisins. All the kids can help with cleanup. This snack might be fun, but it is definitely messy.

If someone in your household is allergic to peanuts, sunflower butter or cream cheese are great options.

Healthy hint: This is a very filling snack with lots of protein, fat and size to fill your stomach. The crunchy celery also tends to slow down your eating and gives you the chance to notice how hungry or full you are. Encourage kids to recognize the changes in their hunger while eating and then stop eating as they start to feel more full or less hungry.

Fun Facts

  1. The second Tuesday in September each year is National Ants on a Log Day.
  2. It takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter.
  3. Peanuts are legumes, which are edible seeds enclosed in pods. They are in the same family as beans, lentils and peas.
  4. The average American eats about 6 pounds of celery per year.
  5. Celery is naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, fat and cholesterol.