Happy {Healthy} Birthday!

I can’t believe that my sweet little girl turned 4 last week!  Since she was the birthday girl, she got to bring the birthday snack to share with her preschool friends.  My initial thought was mini cupcakes but let’s face it, she’s in school for 2 1/2 hours and a sugary snack at 10:30am is not really necessary.  I’m always talking about healthy eating, so I thought I should practice what I preach and show that healthier snacks can still be super fun!

I turned to my favorite place for inspiration – Pinterest – or should I say “pinspiration.”  Entering “healthy snacks for preschool” in the search engine brings up all kinds of yummy treats but I wanted these to be special.  The birthday girl herself chose the following two snacks to share with her pals.

Butterfly Treats

These were a ton of fun to make with my two little helpers.  While they were busy decorating our butterfly bodies (aka clothespins), I made our trail mix.  We added Kix, Multigrain Cheerios, craisins, M&M’s and pretzel goldfish.  These can be completely customized based on what you have in your pantry.

I found the idea via this pin and detailed instructions can be found here.

Banana “Cupcakes”

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I adore cupcakes!  So when I saw this idea, I knew it was absolutely perfect.  I found this via this pin on Pinterest that didn’t link anywhere so I have no one to credit for this super cute idea.  They could not be easier – sliced bananas dipped in melted chocolate and covered in sprinkles.  I made these the morning of preschool and stored them in fridge.  Who doesn’t love a little banana masquerading as a cupcake with sprinkles?!?

Here are a few other ideas for {healthy} birthday celebration:

Fruit/Cheese Skewers – fruit and cheese in cute shapes on a stick?  What preschooler wouldn’t love this?!

via pin

Homemade Granola Bites – I’ve made these multiple times.  I usually add more peanut butter and less honey and sometimes unsweetened cocoa powder.  Just keep adding ingredients until they stick together.  Be careful if your kids go to a peanut-free school!

via pin

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups – I cannot wait to make these this summer!

via pin

What are some your favorite healthy treats?  I’m always looking for new ideas to add to my repertoire.