Fruit & Veggy Snack Tray

 

Just thought I'd share this little trick that's helping our family get more fruits and veggies and make healthier snack choices. As you know, our New Year's resolution this year was to cut back on the meat in our diet and insert more fruits and veggies and whole grains. One way I've started doing this is to cut up and wash an assortment of fruits and veggies at the beginning of the week and keep them in a snack tray in the fridge. I replenish the dish throughout the week with fresh choices.

My boys are loving this. The snack tray has really come in handy during Monster Hour, that time right before dinner when they're the hungriest (and grumpiest) and I'm trying to cook. They think it's neat to eat out of a tray we usually reserve for parties, and they get to snack while they wait for their meals. Maybe they're ruining their appetites for dinner, but it's with foods I want the to eat anyway, so it's a win-win. The other advantage of the snack tray is that if I'm cooking with a recipe that calls for the items in the tray, they're already prepped. And dinner time salads just got a whole lot easier. I hand out bowls of lettuce and let everyone choose their own ingredients.

I don't usually include a dipping sauce, but some of my boys' favorites are Italian dressing and any of the Newman's Own low-fat vinaigrette dressings--lime, raspberry or ginger. For fruit, try yogurt, pudding or peanut butter or mix up a cream cheese "frosting" with cream cheese, lemon juice and a little bit of powdered sugar. Have fun with it!