5 Snacks to Spruce Up Your Lunch Box with the Goodness of Cranberries

My favorite snacks meet three criteria: they’re portable, delicious, and easy – not to mention healthy. I’ve got five fresh snack ideas with one food in common. They’re all powered by the goodness of cranberries. 

Disclosure statement and giveaway alert: I partnered with the Cranberry Institute on this blog post and book giveaway. U.S. Residents: Leave a comment below sharing your favorite lunch box or after school snacks for kids and you could win a signed copy of Body Kindness and cranberry-inspired prize pack! 

My five cran-pairings feature dried cranberries – deliciously sweet and tart berries with health benefits to boot! Cranberries contain a unique health-promoting antioxidant called P-A-Cs (pronounced “packs”) – which may offer benefits such as helping prevent recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) and helping maintain cardiovascular health.

Unlike other berries, cranberries are naturally low in sugar. So dried cranberries and other cranberry products may be sweetened to help fit a variety of taste preferences. But this does not affect their health benefits.

Whether your child is craving crunchy, savory, or chocolatey, these easy-to-make snacks will help you make your child’s lunch and after school snacking a healthful and delightful treat. (And I think you’ll love to eat them just as much as they do!)

Sweet and Savory

Cranberries and cheese. Pair an ounce (about the size of your thumb!) of any favorite cheese with a handful of dried cranberries and enjoy. Little ones will smile when you plate this one as a smiley face.

 

 

PB&C “power pinwheels”. A twist on the well-known favorite PB&J. This tortilla is layered with peanut butter and dried cranberries then rolled and sliced into bite-sized pinwheels.

 

Sweet, Salty, and Crunchy

Cranberries and popcorn. Next time you make popcorn for movie night, use a few cups for this treat . Combine 2 cups popcorn with 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese or a few shakes of salt.

Chocolatey

Cranberries, your favorite nut, and chocolate chips. Just combine equal parts of these three ingredients and store in a cool place. It’s a fun-to-eat snack when you want something with chocolate and it’s easy to add to lunch boxes. For a fun activity in the kitchen, gently melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and pour over cranberries and nuts. Then, spoon into small clusters, let cool and enjoy.

 

Chewy and Nutty

Cranberry Power Balls. Combine 2 tablespoons almond butter, 1 tablespoon honey, 1/4 cup cranberries,  1 tablespoon chia seed, and 1/2 cup rolled oats and stir. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Roll with your hands into bite sized pieces, cover and refrigerate. These are great to have ready as easy after school snacks when kids get home.

 

Enter to Win

U.S. Residents: Leave a comment below sharing your favorite lunch box or after school snacks for kids and you could win a signed copy of Body Kindness and cranberry-inspired prize pack!

One winner will be drawn from the blog comments section in this post after midnight Friday October 13th and notified by e-mail. Once you provide a valid, U.S. mailing address, please allow 7-14 days for the Body Kindness book and the cranberry prize pack to arrive. Questions? Contact info@bodykindnessbook.com.

Be sure to follow Cranberry Institute on Twitter and check out their website for more information and research on the goodness of cranberries!

P.S. Watch Our Video for More Fun Cranberry-Inspired Ideas

Loved working with Cranberry Institute on this video where I shared ideas for using an entire bottle of cranberry juice cocktail in yummy recipes. While it’s focused on summer, you can use these ideas all year long.