Kids and Finger Foods – A Perfect Match

When it’s time to feed the children lunch or a quick snack, the perfect match for tiny tummies is usually a finger food. Fast to prepare and even quicker to eat, finger foods are a great way to serve up some fun and even encourage children to help out in the kitchen. What’s really great about many finger foods is that most are safe for children to prepare on their own – or with a minimal amount of help from an adult.

Here are a few ideas for some finger foods that kids are sure to find irresistible.

Let’s Get Rolling:

Augmented BLT wrap
Tortilla roll ups are one of the easiest and tastiest meals to prepare for children. Pull out a favorite protein, let your children add in some lettuce and tomato or sprouts and then let them roll it up and run off for school or fun with friends. For an added health bonus, try finding tortillas that are low in carbohydrates, are made from whole grains or have spinach or tomato added to the flour.
Pick a Pita Bread Sandwich:

fish in pita pockets

Pita or “pocket” bread is a great idea for keeping kids happy during lunchtime. Cut up a variety of veggies and proteins like regular or soy cheese, put out a few condiments and then children can stuff their own sandwiches as they please. Pitas can even be filled with peanut butter and jelly or stuffed with cheese and tomato sauce and then baked for a mini pizza. You can now find pita breads that are only 6 inches in diameter. These small pockets are great for serving a variety of tasty snacks for children who are looking for lots of different flavors.

Tiny Food for Tiny Fingers:

Smaller veggies like baby carrots and corn, edamame and cherry tomatoes are easy for little hands to hold. Consider providing children with vegetables that are small and easy for them to hold and dip. Fruits like apples, kiwi and bananas can be sliced by an adult and served with peanut butter or honey instead of products that are high in refined sugars.

Fruit Sushi:

Want to get your children to eat more fruits? Have some fun in the kitchen while making a healthful dessert of Frushi – fruit sushi. Get a few different types of real fruit roll-ups, cut up some strawberries, bananas or kiwis into fine slivers, place into the fruit roll – and then get rolling. Once all neat into a bundle, you could also slice into delicious bite-sized “frushi” pieces. For some added energy and sweetness you can add in some sushi rice soaked in coconut milk.

Sweet Potatoes Fries

sweet potato fries

Sweet potatoes are loaded with nutrients and a nice switch from standard white potatoes. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then peel and cut one large sweet potato into 2 inch-long slices and brush with one teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Place the fries on the parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning 2- 3 times while in the oven to ensure even cooking.

Cutie Pie Sandwiches:

Glam up that batch of bland, boring sandwiches by cutting them into cute, small shapes. Make some easy peanut butter and jelly or cream cheese sandwiches then select several cookie cutters in delightful shapes like flowers, hearts, diamonds, or circles. Serve with a bowl of carrot chips.  

While ideas for child-friendly finger foods abound, the important thing to remember is that safety is paramount. If you are going to invite the kids to help out in the kitchen you’ll need to make sure to do all cutting, even grade school children should be monitored while using items like butter knives. By staying safe and keeping recipes easy, finger foods are sure to be an easy delicious treat for parents and kids.

About the author
Chef Audrey Summers loves having her kids join her in the kitchen, and teaching them safe and healthy habits. Audrey is also a content contributor for cliqstudios.com, a kitchen makeover site featuring hundreds of choices for storage such as cherry kitchen cabinets and accessories such as knobs and pulls, and crown molding.