Chocolate Pumpkin Dip....Or Pudding....Or Pops!

Another installment for our "Snack Attack Saturday" column! There are lots of healthy yogurt dips out there, but here's a fun spin on one for your kiddos that will be a hit!  A few surprise ingredients make this one addicting.

1/2 cup plain yogurt (I like to use Greek yogurt, like Chobani, or a non-dairy version, like So Delicious)

1/3 cup pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup Nutella (or any other chocolate spread or chocolate nut butter of your liking)

1 tsp. ground flaxseed

1 tbl. real maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. chili powder

Blend all ingredients together well and serve chilled.  You can add the chocolate directly to the dip, or dollop on top.

Dip apples, celery sticks, pretzels (we love Vitaspelt pretzels), carrot sticks, strawberries, or bananas for a healthy after-school snack.

My kids also love to eat this straight; it's almost like pudding, yet so much healthier.  So I will sometimes save it as a special dessert.  Crumble some graham crackers or crushed nuts on top.

A fun twist is to make the dip into popsicles.  Simply buy the forms (readily available at Target or online) and freeze.  Yum!

                                                 

   

Snack Attack Saturday: Delectable Dairy-Free Smoothie

I love smoothies, especially for my kids, for a number of reasons.  First, they're fun to drink, especially if you've got fun glasses or crazy straws.  Secondly, it's an easy way to pack a lot of different kinds of nutrient-rich foods in a compact, easy-to-drink form.  I also love them because can you can include foods that your child may otherwise not consume that are nutritionally essential for them.