Top 10 Healthy Treats to Keep Kids Cool in Summer
Summer can be both a fun but also a stressful time when you have kids. There are many more things to think about, from sunscreen and making sure they wear a hat, to making sure you keep them hydrated. Then there is the challenge of how to keep them cool during the hot summer days. When children get overheated, it’s not difficult for them to become irritable or even unwell. One great way of doing this is by creating some healthy summer snacks that they can eat throughout the day when they need to cool down.
So, without further ado here are our top 10 healthy treats to keep your kids cool during summer.
Homemade Ice Lollies
Potentially one of the easiest and cheapest healthy snacks on the list. All you need is an ice lolly tray and whatever flavouring you want to add to the lollies. You could be as creative as you want from something simple like orange squash and water to fresh fruit or their favourite soft drink. Simply add water to the flavouring and put them in the freezer to set.
Voila, simple cooling ice lollies that are not only delicious but also healthy.
Frozen Grapes
Another simple healthy snack for kids is frozen grapes. Simply put your grapes in the freezer and get them out when they need a cooling snack. These can be eaten on their own. Alternatively, they also make great ice cubes to make drinks extra cold.
For the grown-ups, they work great in wine to cool your own drink without watering it down. Great tip for when you need a refreshing, alcoholic drink.
Simple Frozen Yogurt
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During summer, it is only normal to stock up on ice creams. However, if you want to be healthy, frozen yoghurt is not only simple, but a lot less calories.
We found a great recipe for strawberry frozen yogurt which simply needs 3 ingredients: strawberries, condensed milk and yoghurt. Then simply blend it all together, pop in a baking tin or container and freeze. You could replace the strawberries with any flavour or fruit or your choice. You can even let your kids choose a few healthy topping such as nuts or fruit for extra flavour.
Summer Fruit Smoothies
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When the temperature rises there is nothing better than an ice-cold smoothie to cool down. These are great to make for the kids and another very quick and easy method. Simply grab your kid’s favourite fruit (fresh or frozen), add water or fruit juice, put it in the blender and voila.
This is also a great way of using up fresh fruit if it is starting to become over ripe. Another tip here – you can unpeel bananas and freeze them and they keep really well!
Watermelon
This fruit is perfect for the summer, it is refreshing and full of water to help keep your kids hydrated. Simple slice your watermelon up and if you want to be a bit creative, push a lolly stick through the rind. There you have it, watermelon popsicles. Keep it in the fridge to stay fresh, or for extra coolness freeze it for a bit to make a cooling summer snack.
Homemade Ice Cream
Let’s face it, we all love an ice cream or two when the sun is out. However, these can be full of sugar and so can’t always be classed as healthy. But, why not make your own ice cream at home? That way you know what is going into it and the result will be healthier. You can either buy yourself a cheap ice cream maker for the easiest solution or keep mixing the ice cream during the freezing process.
Slush Puppies/Granita
As kids you probably had slush puppies from the shop, and in Italy they call it granita. Whatever you know it by, this frozen treat is a great hit for the summer and is also easy to make. Simply mix water and your favourite flavouring, whether that is lemon, berries or anything else.
Put it in a container and pop it in the freezer, then simply mix it up every hour or so as it freezes. This will give you a nice, refreshing flavoured crushed ice snack which is the perfect for a hot summer day. You can also add extra flavours at the end such as a flavoured syrup to make it into more of a drink.
Veggie Dip Cups
If you are looking for a more savoury snack for the kids, then how about a veggie dip cup. Simply grab a small glass or cup, put some of their favourite dip in the bottom, whether this is sour cream and chive, hummus or simply mayonnaise. Then place some vegetables into the cup so that they are standing up in the dip and you are done. Some great vegetables to use for this is, carrots, celery, peppers, tomatoes, and cucumber.
Then simply pop them in the fridge and your kid has a healthy cold snack whenever they need it.
Flavoured Sorbet
If you are looking for a healthier alternative to ice cream but don’t want to make frozen yogurt, sorbets are a great refreshing treat for your little ones and so easy to make with very few ingredients. We love this raspberry sorbet recipe, but you can use any flavouring for a cooling snack on a hot summer day.
Other than cooling snacks, summer is the perfect time to get out and about with the kids and explore new places. Beaches, zoos, theme parks, they are all great locations for summer day trips. However, it also means battling large crowds. To make sure your kid is safe we have the perfect solution, ID bracelets.
These come in a variety of colours so your kids can pick their favourite. On the bracelet you can add a contact number, so if they get lost, an adult or your child will know who to call. This is a great investment to ensure your children’s safety especially in busy, crowded places where they might get lost.
We also offer a wide variety of other personalised name labels for their belongings to help prevent them from becoming mislaid. From bags and stationery to socks and coats, our labels can be stuck, ironed or sewn onto their possessions to give you peace of mind.
Check out our full range of labels. Alternatively, contact us today if you have any queries or questions about our products.