As a parent to three children, I am always looking for snack ideas for kids for home and at school. This recipe can be used as a snack or incorporated into other meals. It takes about 10 minutes to make and you can keep it in the fridge for 2 days.
It is always great to introduce kids to a variety of flavours and foods and to start them as young as is possible. Sometimes this may mean a cooked snack but where possible, I encourage you to start experimenting with raw snacks for kids. They are surprisingly easy and because you are not heating them, you are retaining the a higher % of nutrients.
Today I share with you a recipe that I have adapted from others in the raw food community. From what I hear from my kids, these are shared with friends at school and I get requests for more. In Victoria you are not allowed to take nuts to school so this snack idea is great for that reason too. If you are only making them for home then ground up some activated almonds and add them to the mix for extra good fat for the kids. Feel free to make this recipe your own by adding other healthy ingredients.
What I love about this recipe is that it is soooooooo easy and the clean up is just as simple. Sure, I’m no photographer but get these raw chocolate balls on the taste buds and you won’t care about my picture.
The only thing to be aware of with this recipe is that it does contain raw cacao powder and it is a stimulant. There are health benefits of raw cacao and the antioxidant value is much higher than processed cocoa. So, everything in moderation or keep to a balanced diet, as they say.
If you are interested in more great snack ideas for kids after making this recipe then take a look at this book. You can also check out this article for more snack ideas for kids.
Raw Chocolate Coconut Balls
- 8 organic dates
- 1 avocado
- 1 tablespoon organic dark agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground chia
- organic shredded coconut (preservative free)
Combine everything but the shredded coconut in a blender and blend until smooth. Take small handfuls and roll into balls and roll in the coconut. Put in a container and refrigerate.
Avocados are low in sodium and cholesterol and are packed with nutrients such as Vitamin K, Vitamin C and folate to name a few, so if they are not your ‘thing’ or your kids don’t much like them this is a great way to hide them or the taste of them. My youngest will not touch avocado and yet he loves these raw chocolate coconut balls.
For an sweet and crunchy salad recipe that your kids are sure to like, check out my Watermelon Salad Recipe. You just HAVE to try it!
My blender is awesome and I used it for the chocolate ball recipe. I have a Blendtec which is the equivalent to theVitamix and both are well worth the investment. These are two of the best blenders on the market and I use mine daily. A good quality blender will help you make raw food meals and snacks so take a look. It is also great for making green smoothies – and greens are a must to maintain your health and that of your family.
I’d love to hear if you added any other healthy ingredients to this recipe so please leave a comment below. Or, if you like it then please indicate this by sharing it with others. Feel free to also ask any questions.
Give yourself the power to roar!
Eileen.
Disclaimer:
I’m no medical expert and information contained on this blog is written with the aim of furthering your education on health and raw food. It is your responsibility as to how you use this information and I cannot be held liable for any misinterpretation or misuse of the information provided.