Ants on a Log
~ Remember the classic snack “Ants on a Log”? Now it’s better than ever with a whole new twist! Waaaaay beyond celery and peanut butter! So quick, so healthy (and so much fun … get creative)! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Vegetarian • Gluten Free Options •
School’s only been back in for a few weeks, but are you already kinda feeling like you’re in a rut when it comes to the all-important after-school snack?
Do your kids come home ravenous? (Just what are they doing at school that makes them soooo hungry??)
We can’t speak for everyone, but our experience has been that the success of homework and after-school activities strongly depends on if our kiddos get a snack. More importantly, it depends on what that snack is.
Sure – the pantry could be filled with those “convenience” foods. But when your kids crash from too much sugar or overly processed carbs, is that really convenient? We don’t think so, either.
So you might be thinking, “Hmmm, what would a good snack be??” We’re not going to let you down! We love our THKers too much!
We’ve got Ants on a Log … Version 2.0! It’s improved. It’s better than ever. It’s much more scrumptious than the ol’ celery with peanut butter and raisins. Not that there’s anything wrong with the classic – we’ve just jazzed it up a bit!
Our most favorite part … you can use what you’ve got on hand! (But get creative!)
No, the peanut butter doesn’t always have to go on celery. Try it with carrots. (Really! Shelley loves pb with carrots and dried cranberries!) How about peaches with cream cheese and a sprinkling of blueberries and almonds? (Gretchen’s favorite! Try it – it’s awesome!) Fill up that celery trench with cottage cheese and roasted sunflower seeds! Or slather bananas with peanut butter and press in some coconut and a few mini chocolate chips – seriously, so good!
Maybe you’ve got leftovers from making some No-Bake Fruit Pizzas or cute and easy Fruit Skewers (hint hint – two more awesome after-school snack ideas!). Or maybe you filled up your basket at the store with all of the best in-season fruits and veggies.
Makes no difference – just mix it up! Our kids had a total blast inventing all kinds of fun combinations – but they had WAY more fun eating after our photo shoot was done! In fact, our little helpers really filled up on sweet fruits, crunchy vegetables, and loads of protein from nuts, seeds, cottage cheese, peanut butter, cream cheese and our favorite Greek yogurt Fruit Dip.
We didn’t hear, “Can we have a snack?” or “I’m hungry!” for hours. Hours, people.
These aren’t just perfect for after school. This would make a fun activity and snack for a preschool play group. Or a do-it-yourself appetizer spread for a family dinner or even a casual party. We love options …
And we love super-healthy ideas that keep ’em full and satisfied!
Ants on a Log 2.0
Remember the classic snack "Ants on a Log"? Now it's better than ever, with a whole new twist!
• Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Vegetarian • Gluten Free Options •
Ingredients
FRESH FRUITS FOR "LOGS":
- Apples
- Bananas
- Peaches or nectarines
FRESH VEGETABLES FOR "LOGS":
- Carrots
- Celery
SPREADS:
- Cottage cheese
- Cream cheese
- Hummus
- Peanut butter
- Healthy Sugared-Vanilla Yogurt Fruit Dip
NUT AND SEED TOPPINGS:
- Almond slivers or slices
- Chia seeds
- Flax meal
- Roasted sunflower seeds
FRUIT TOPPINGS:
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Dried, chopped dates
- Dried cranberries
- Dried pineapple
- Raisins
EXTRA TOPPINGS:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Granola
Instructions
- Choose any of the fresh fruits and vegetables you'd like. Rinse the fresh fruits and veggies and then cut them into "log" shapes and lengths.
- Slather your fruit and veggie "logs" with spreads of your choice.
- Sprinkle desired toppings onto your "logs," pressing them into the spreads, if needed, to help them stick.
I can’t wait to try this with my niblings! (nieces and nephews) I am going to add mango, jicama, and zucchini rounds into the mix as well as crushed walnuts, pecans, and cashews. 🙂 This looks so fun and so delicious!
What fun! I hope your niblings (such a great name LOL!) enjoy creating their own ants on a log! Great ideas for all the other things you plan to offer up, too – so many ways for kiddos to personalize their snacks! Enjoy – and thanks bunches for the comment! ~Shelley
This is heresy!
Hahaha – I know, right?!?! Ants on a Log always used to be just a celery thing, right? And honestly – we really do still have that old-fashioned version sometimes, too (it’s a classic for a reason!). But my kids also love riffing on that theme, even now that they’re teens. In fact, maybe especially now that they’re older, when they come home after sports practices HUNGRY and looking for real nourishment! Apples and bananas are two of our most common subs for the celery, since we almost always have them on hand, but now that summer’s peaches are so gorgeous … just might be time for another Peach Stegosaurus, huh?!?! 😉 ~Shelley