This chia fruit nachos recipe is a delicious, nutritious and filling snack that your kids will love! Making sure that my kids’ snacks are filling and nutrient dense is priority, not only because I’m a dietitian, but also because I’m a busy mom who doesn’t have time to make and serve snacks all day long because my kids are constantly hungry.
Can you relate?
If you play the all-day-snacking-game (and can’t keep up anymore), it’s a good idea to take a closer look at the nutrient quality of your kid’s snacks. If they don’t have staying power, your kids will come back for more within minutes. And constant snacking during the day not only becomes tiring for you, but can lead to picky eating tendencies and frustrating mealtime battles.
So, what’s a snack with “staying power”?
A snack with “staying power” is one that keeps kids satisfied and energized for two to three hours, and contains filling, nutrient-dense ingredients.
Too many common store-bought kids’ snacks lack nutrition, contain too much added sugar and fail to keep tummies satisfied or brains and bodies nourished. Here are three nutrients that help to boost staying power of foods:
1) Fibre:
Dietary fibre occurs naturally in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, peanuts and other nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and whole grains. Besides providing satiety (a feeling of fullness), fibre helps to improve digestive health, blood sugar control, cholesterol levels and can help weight management too!
2) Dietary Fats:
Fat is naturally occurring in animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy. Essential mono and poly-unsaturated fats predominantly come from plant foods such as peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, and some fruits and vegetables (like avocado and olives). Aside from improving cardiovascular health, dietary fat is digested slowly, which provides a sense of fullness for a longer period.
3) Protein:
Protein comes from both animal and plant-based foods such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, beans, and lentils. Protein helps to build and repair muscles and other tissues, and like fat, is digested slowly, providing a sense of fullness and satisfaction. Interestingly, peanuts contain more protein than any other nut!
In this recipe, I used natural peanut butter, not only because it’s a staple in our house and we love it, but because peanuts are packed full of all three of these staying-power nutrients. Not to mention that they’re also chock full of essential vitamins and minerals such as iron, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate and magnesium – all very important for growth and development.
Peanuts contain a unique combination of healthy unsaturated fats and dietary fibre—making them a low glycemic index food. This means that when your kids eat them (or eat peanut butter), their blood sugar level doesn’t spike and fall like it would with a high glycemic index food. Instead, peanuts help to stabilize blood sugar levels and provide a long-lasting energy source.
For this recipe, I’ve paired peanut butter with another protein-packed ingredient—Greek yogurt—to make the perfect drizzle for our Chia Fruit Nachos. Super easy, nutrient-rich, and delicious, this recipe is perfect for an after-school snack!
Chia Fruit Nachos
Yield: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
For this recipe, I’ve paired peanut butter with another protein-packed ingredient—Greek yogurt—to make the perfect drizzle for our Chia Fruit Nachos. Super easy, nutrient-rich, and delicious, this recipe is perfect for an after-school snack!
Ingredients
- 2 apples, cored and sliced thinly
- 2 pears, cored and sliced thinly
- 5-6 strawberries, sliced
- 1/3 cup blueberries
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- On a large plate, layer fruit evenly, placing apple and pear slices on the bottom and berries on top.
- Sprinkle chia seeds and shredded coconut on top. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, Greek yogurt and cinnamon and whisk together until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small re-sealable plastic baggy and seal, making sure that the air is removed. Massage mixture to one of the bottom corners. Snip the bottom corner of the plastic bag and drizzle mixture over top of fruit “nachos” before serving.
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