It’s August, and while it still feels like summer, there’s no doubt that fall is just around the corner. September is fast approaching and, while the air grows a bit chillier and the sun sets a bit earlier, everyone is preparing for one thing: back-to-school season!

Parents know that, soon enough, their kids will be running home at 3 pm, and chances are, they’ll be hungry. But what’s a good snack to make for them?

To ease the transition into September, here are two snacks that are perfect for kids of all ages! These are simple to make, easy to pack in a lunchbox, and guaranteed to put a smile on your kids’ faces. But they don’t just taste great: they’re healthy, too, which means you can avoid dealing with an afternoon sugar high, and instead focus on playing together or helping them with homework.

The first recipe is from Peter and Kelli Bronski’s Kids Cook Gluten-Free: a fun, foolproof cookbook made exclusively for kids. This means that (if inspired) your children can start cheffing it up in the kitchen, which will help them learn about food, encourage them to make healthier choices, and who knows? They might even discover a passion.

Hummus

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip or spread made of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, and garlic. It pairs equally well with GF crackers and veggies, and you can make it in just a few minutes using a food processor.

Makes 2 cups (8 servings)
Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Veggies (like baby carrots, sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, cucumber slices, or celery sticks)
• Gluten-free crackers
• 1 small garlic clove
• One 15-ounce can (425 g) no-salt-added chickpeas
• 1 small lemon (about 2 tablespoons juice)
• ¹⁄₄ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 3 tablespoons tahini, stirred well
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

1. Rinse the vegetables. Peel and slice the larger ones (like cucumbers) using the vegetable peeler, cutting board, and chef’s knife. Put them on a plate along with the crackers. 

2. Peel the papery skin off the garlic clove

3. Place a colander in the sink. Open the can of chickpeas with the can opener, pour them into the colander, and rinse with cold water.

4. Add the drained chickpeas to the food processor. 

5. On the cutting board, use the chef’s knife to cut the lemon in half at its equator. One at a time, put the lemon halves in the citrus juicer and squeeze out the juice on top of the chickpeas. (If you don’t have a citrus juicer, you can squeeze the lemon, cut side down, with your hand until the juice comes out.) 

6. Add the oil, water, tahini, garlic, cumin, and salt to the chickpeas. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Use the rubber spatula to scrape the hummus into a serving bowl. Be careful with the food processor blade because it is very sharp. Serve and enjoy with the prepared veggies and crackers. 

Next comes a recipe from Dr. Megan Rossi’s book, How to Eat More Plants. It’s packed full of recipes that make it easy to consume more plants for better gut health. Start your kids off on a great path with recipes like these citrus bars.

Four-Ingredient Citrus Bars

For those days when a piece of fruit won’t cut it, but you’re short on time for baking. Move over store-bought bars—this refreshing treat is the ultimate high-fiber snack.

Makes 25 squares
Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes to 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1¹⁄₂ cups (200 g) cashews
• 2¹⁄₂ cups (200 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 21 dried apricots (about 5 ounces/150 g)
• Juice of 1 large orange (about ¹⁄₃ cup/80 ml), plus zest to taste

1. Line the base and sides of an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper. 

2. Place the cashews in a food processor and blend for 30 seconds until ground. Add the coconut and apricots and pulse until the apricots are finely chopped. Add the orange juice and blend again until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Taste and add zest to preference. 

3. Firmly press the mixture into the pan with the back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours (or in the freezer for 30 minutes) or until firm enough to cut. Slice into 25 squares. 

Happy cooking!