Top 10 healthy Christmas snacks

You can end up fighting a losing battle when you’re trying to ensure that your child eats healthy foods over the Christmas holidays. After all, it is a time when tradition dictates that we treat ourselves – and since Christmas is for children, why shouldn’t they get the chance to indulge themselves too?

The answer to that question is hyperactive toddlers and preschoolers bouncing off the walls on a sugar and additive high! Plus, if your child is filling up on too many rich pastries, cakes, biscuits and puddings from the week before Christmas right up until the first week of the new year, you risk having to spend some of that time nursing a sick little person who’s overdone it to the extent that she has constipation and a stomach ache that might mean vomiting.

There is a solution: Christmas snacks and treats with a nutritional subtext: hidden healthy ingredients that help you cut down on sugar, add in veggies and fibre where your child least expects them – and still taste great! Here’s gurgle’s pick of the healthiest yummiest Christmas snacks and treats for your child… and the best bit of all is that your child can even help you make some of them, by stirring together the ingredients or using festive shaped cookie cutters to cut out Christmas tree, snowman or reindeer shaped cookies.

1 Christmas fruitcake cookies

You’ll need:
225g butter/margarine, softened
225g sugar
3 eggs, separated
360g plain flour, divided
225g candied cherries, chopped
225g candied pineapples, chopped
225g raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda dissolved in hot water

Cream together butter/margarine and sugar.
Beat in egg yolks.
Stir in chopped fruit.
Stir the remaining flour together with the spices and salt to mix evenly, and add remaining ingredients (except egg whites).
Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter.
Drop teaspoon-sized blobs onto oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.

2 Oatmeal Christmas cookies

You’ll need:
225g butter/margarine, softenened
75g sugar
60g plain flour
225g regular porridge oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla essence
225g chopped golden raisins and cherries

Sift flour, sugar and salt into a bowl.
In a large bowl, beat together butter/margarine, eggs and vanilla essence until smooth.
Stir in flour and oats.
Drop teaspoon-sized blobs onto oiled baking sheet, or roll dough flat so your child can cut out Christmas shapes to decorate.
Bake at 180°C for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are golden brown.

3 Snowman crackers

You’ll need:
Box of round wholegrain crackers, such as Ritz
Pack of low-fat cream cheese
Frozen diced vegetables, lightly steamed
Sliced red or green pepper

Spread cream cheese on top of cracker.
Get your child to form the snowman’s face and ‘hair’ with any combination of the frozen veggies.
Add a little green or red pepper slice for a scarf.

4 Festive apple and spice muffins

You’ll need:
300g plain flour
40g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground ginger
300g shredded Golden Delicious apples (you can shred these in a food processor or by using a cheese grater)
180ml low-fat buttermilk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
2 tsp sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ginger in a large bowl.
Combine apple, buttermilk, oil, and egg in a bowl, and stir well.
Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moist.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over muffins.
Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes or until golden.

5 Apricot oat Christmas presents

You’ll need:
60g plain flour
60g wholemeal flour
180g regular porridge oats
40g brown sugar
6 tbsp chilled butter or margarine
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Cooking spray
180ml apricot jam
Red/green licorice strings

Combine flours, oats, sugar, butter, and nutmeg in a food processor or by hand until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Press two-thirds of mixture into bottom of an 20cm square baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Spread jam over warm crust, sprinkle remaining oat mixture on top and gently press it down.
Bake for an additional 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
Allow to cool and then tie red and green licorice around them to form ‘gifts’.

6 Carrots and parsnips with honey

You’ll need:
10 baby carrots
1 small parsnip
Cooking spray
1 tbsp honey*

Thoroughly wash carrots and parsnip.
Peel parsnip and cut into strips, cutting away central ‘woody’ portion.
Boil or steam carrots and parsnip strips for 3-4 minutes.
Place into frying pan, spray with cooking spray and dribble with honey.
Fry 3-4 minutes or until soft.

*Don’t give honey to children under 1 year of age.

7 Christmas pinwheels

You’ll need:
1 packet low-fat cream cheese
2 tbsp low-fat plain yogurt
25g minced sweet red pepper
25g cooked frozen peas
3-4 medium-sized flour tortillas

Beat together cream cheese and yogurt until smooth.
Add red pepper and frozen peas, and mix well.
Spread mix across each tortilla and roll up tightly in clingfilm.
Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Slice in ½ inch pieces to create festive red and green pinwheels.

8 Reindeer treats

You’ll need:
500g mixed rice and wheat cereal squares
225g thin pretzel sticks, broken in half
120g butter or margarine
120g creamy peanut butter
225g plain chocolate chips
120g icing sugar
120g Smarties

Combine cereal and pretzels in large bowl.
Place butter/margarine, peanut butter and chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving in 10-15 second increments until butter and chocolate are melted, and stir until smooth.
Pour melted chocolate mixture over cereal and pretzels and stir until well coated.
Spread mixture evenly into single layer on two waxed paper-lined baking sheets and refrigerate 20 minutes to set.
Break into bite-sized pieces and divide into two large plastic food bags. Pour icing sugar into each bag, seal and shake until mixture is well coated.
Place Smarties into each bag, seal and gently shake to distribute candies. Store mixture in sealed bags or airtight container in refrigerator.

9 Snowman big dipper

You’ll need:
1 packet low-fat cream cheese, softened
224g shredded cheddar cheese
30g finely chopped onions
60g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cooked frozen diced vegetables
Cooked baby carrots
Cooked broccoli florets
Sliced red and green peppers

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and chopped onions. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Divide mixture into one small ball (the snowman’s head) and one large ball (the snowman’s body).
Roll balls in the Parmesan cheese and set the small ball on top of the larger ball on a plate.
Decorate with cooked frozen diced veggies for the snowman’s eyes, nose, mouth and buttons.
Serve with cooked baby carrots and broccoli, and red and green pepper slices and get your child dipping!

10 Santa’s snowballs

You’ll need:
115g pecan nuts
175g icing sugar
240g butter or margarine, cold
2 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp salt
120g plain flour
120g wholemeal flour
50g white chocolate

Spread pecan nuts on baking sheet and bake at 180°C for 6-8 minutes, stirring once, until lightly toasted.
Grind pecans in food processor, adding one third of the icing sugar.
Add butter/margarine, vanilla essence and salt and blend before adding flour.
Mix until dough forms.
Roll out dough into 1-inch balls and place on oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 160°C for 20 minutes or until balls are dry and lightly browned.
Allow to cool.
Melt chocolate in microwave on HIGH for one minute. Sir and melt for a further 30 seconds.
Use melted chocolate to sandwich together two cookies until all are paired up.
Refrigerate until chocolate hardens. Then roll snowballs in bowl of remaining icing sugar to form light dusting of ‘snow’.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Last Modified: 24/11/2008