Snack Boards Save the Day!
Who appreciates a night off from cooking, especially on a Friday?!
I made my first snack board for a Sunday, afternoon football game with my family. I’m not a big football or sports gal but my husband is and I LOVE food, so I always look forward to a good excuse to play around in the kitchen. The boards then became a regular Friday Night tradition, especially in the summer months, as I realized that there was little to no cooking involved! They are also super easy, a fun activity for the family to create together, make little dishes, are crowd pleasing, and nutritious. Snack boards are a great way to satisfy everyone’s tastes and are a fun way to get the kids involved in dinner prep, which I think is always a win. I also love to make them when my girls have friends over too, as there is always at least something for everyone.
Looking for a couple other simple, nutritious and delicious, family friendly dinner ideas? Check out Veggie Packed Meatballs and Sweet Potato Quiche.
Start with a vision:
We start with a large wooden cutting board, or a cookie sheet works great too. My girls and I go through the fridge together, trying to find fruit and veggies to represent each color in the rainbow. This is a great way to encourage eating a variety of fruits and veggies containing a variety of nutrients. We wash and chop all the produce and then we work on the creative, artistic part. We make sure our board contains fruit, veggies, protein, starch, and a healthy fat like avocado. A few things I like to have on hand for our boards are: a spread for dipping, crackers or rice cakes for mini sandwiches, lettuce or nori squares for mini wraps, meats, cheese, seafood, eggs, nuts and/or seeds.
Make sure to put any juicy fruit in bowls to prevent other foods from getting soggy. Have your children explore using different color and size bowls, if options are available. Creating boards is a great form of art and a fun challenge for the whole family.
Ingredients ideas:
Nori squares
lettuce
Sweet Potato fries
Goat or sheep cheese
Hummus
Organic Turkey
Salmon salad
Hard boiled eggs
Raw nuts and seeds
Fermented Veggies
Avocado
fruit and veggies to represent all the colors in the rainbow (if you are looking for a fun challenge)
I would love to see your creations! Please tag @misascleankitchen on social media so I can see your snack boards and share with others for inspiration.
