This article is written by Jenny Levine Finke and originally appeared on Good For You Gluten Free. Please follow Jenny for more helpful tips and articles like this!
School hardly looks normal this year.
For my kids, they are going to school two days per week and then they have three days of remote learning at home.
I know my kids are going to need a lot of healthy foods to help them get through the stressors of this unusual school year.
That’s why I came up with three beautiful, tasty, kid-friendly, and of course, gluten-free snack boards that I can quickly make to help my kids stay healthy, focused and well nourished.
What is a Snack Board?
A snack board, also called a charcuterie board, is a plate or platter filled with a variety of snacky, finger foods.
The perfect, kid-friendly snack board will typically have:
• Plenty of kid-friendly foods.
• A variety of colors, textures, and flavors. Think fresh and dried fruits, deli meats, crackers, dips, sliced vegetables, nuts, etc.
• Bite-sized and easy to grab foods. Finger foods work best. Use toothpicks and skewers, as needed.
• A fun theme. I’ve shared a few fun snack board ideas below to get the idea machine flowing.
I find snack boards with the most appeal have overlapping foods that build on and complement one another.
No snack board is complete without the crackers, and I recommend Crunchmaster crackers because they are certified gluten free, taste great, and are kid approved. Plus, they come in a variety of flavors that complement any snack board theme you can dream up.
Board Inspiration
Now you’re ready to build your own board… and I’m ready to share a little inspiration to help get you started:
Idea #1: Protein-Power Board
Fuel your kids bodies with this snack board filled with healthy treats that give them the protein they need to nourish their growing bodies, and the healthy fats they need to support their developing brains.
This snack board includes:
• Baby carrots
• Snap peas
• Hummus
• Guacamole
• Grapes
• Turkey jerky
• Salted almonds
• Crunchmaster Protein Snack Crackers
Crunchmaster Protein Snack Crackers contain 5 grams of vegetable protein per serving, and 16 grams of whole grain goodness. Choose from Sea Salt or Roasted Garlic varieties.
Idea #2: Spice, Spice Baby Board
My kids love spicy foods, so I like to throw this snack board into the mix, on occasion, because it really gets their taste buds going.
This spicy snack board includes:
• Pepperoni slices
• Sliced prosciutto
• Hot pepper jack cheese
• Salsa
• Green olives
• Crunchmaster Multi-seed Crackers
The classic multi-seed crackers will help cool things down and give this board its desired crunch appeal.
Idea #3: Mom of the Year Chocolate Board
A stressful day at school deserves a little sweetness at home, and this snack board touches on all the sweet notes while still nourishing your kids with much-needed brain food.
The board includes:
• Fresh strawberries, halved
• Fresh cherries
• Candied almonds
• Dried cranberries
• Chocolate hazelnut dip
• Crunchmaster Protein Brownie Thins
The Crunchmaster Protein Brownie Thins contain 8 grams of vegetable protein per serving and are baked with real cocoa powder.
A Few Tips
Tip #1: To keep juicy foods (like melons) or drippy foods (like nut butters) from spilling onto other foods, store them in their own bowls and place the bowls on top of each board.
Tip #2: Have fun with it. Use whatever you have in the house and get creative. When you make healthy foods look fun, your kids pay attention.
Tip #3: To ensure maximum snacking, place the snack board in a central place in your house. It’s hard to pass up when you see a beautiful board ready for snacking.
Tip #4: Involve your kids. Building a snack board of their own is a fun, creative way for your kids to express themselves… and they’ll be even more excited to eat it when it’s their own creation.
Tip #5: Always keep a stash of crackers in your pantry because you never know when a snack board attack is going to hit. You can purchase Crunchmaster crackers at grocery stores nationwide, or on Amazon.