Healthy Sweet and Salty Snacks

Make healthy kid-friendly hidden veggie sweet and salty snacks with these easy healthy sweet and salty popcorn or pretzel recipe for kids or adults or a sweet and savory sautéed walnut recipe for healthy snack, appetizer or addition to salad or yogurt. Scroll down for two easy secretly healthy snack recipes that actually taste good, fill you up and are equally good for weight loss.

Want to make any comfort food, snack or dessert healthy, gluten-free, sugar-free, oil-free for you or your little one? Hide veggies in your or your kid’s favorite foods with easy, healthy swaps and add-ins. Browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

You and your pickiest eater can eat more veggies without trying to change your diet. You never have to buy, prep, serve, clean or throw away unwanted food ever again.

Read below and browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook for kid-friendly comfort foods, snacks and sweet treats that contain hidden fruits, vegetables and protein. Every recipe is gluten-free, and can be made with dairy-free, sugar-free, nut-free and organic ingredients. I only share recipes with simple steps and ingredients that kids can help prepare in minutes. Add vitamins, minerals, fiber , antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory nutrients to any of your favorite foods.

Eat the Rainbow Starter Recipe

Doctors, nutritionists and social media “experts” tell us kids (and adults) must “eat the rainbow” every day. Steam, blend and freeze the veggies below and simply hide the thawed cubes in your favorite foods. See full "Starter Recipe" and my favorite hidden veggie recipes in my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

• Zucchini

• Broccoli

• Spinach

• Green beans. (haricots verts)

• Peas (for added protein)

• Red and orange bell peppers

• Orange and purple carrots

• Beets (use in moderation to avoid altering flavor too drastically)

White Diet Starter Recipe

Is your kid averse to any foods with green, orange, red, purple, or anything not the color of bread? For the pickiest eaters, use my “white diet” hidden veggie mix to hide veggies without changing the color or flavor of common kid-favorite foods. My particular picky eater “white-diet” consists of bread, pasta, butter, eggs, turkey meatballs, chicken nuggets and chocolate protein "milkshakes." See full "Starter Recipe" and my favorite hidden veggie recipes in my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook. The white vegetables below contain the same vitamin and antioxidant profile as their colorful counterparts in my “Eat the Rainbow” veggie mix.

• Yellow peppers

• White carrots

• Yellow squash

• Cauliflower

• White string beans (haricots verts)

• Golden beets (use in moderation to avoid altering flavor too drastically)

After you make the “Eat the Rainbow” and/or “White Diet” hidden veggie mix starter recipe and freeze the veggie purée in ice cube trays, simply microwave one or more hidden veggie cubes for 30 seconds each to mix into your child’s favorite foods. With just 30 extra seconds, you and your family can eat the rainbow every day.

Stir Cube(s) into Your Favorite Foods

• Eggs (scrambled, omelet, frittata)

• Protein "milkshake"

• French Toast (add to egg/milk mix to dip bread)

• Tuna fish

• Chicken salad

• Barbecue beef, chicken or pork

• Shredded marinated chicken

• Ground beef or turkey

• Mashed potatoes

• Mac and cheese

• Buttered noodles

• Tahini

• Barbecue sauce

• Teriyaki sauce

Spread a Thin Layer onto Your Favorite Foods

• Quesadilla

• Grilled cheese sandwich

• Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

• Cinnamon toast

• Cream cheese bagel

Not-From-Scratch Baked Goods

Use your favorite baked good recipe or store-bought mix, and replace all of the water or milk and half of the oil or butter with puréed fruit. You can also microwave one or more hidden veggie cubes (page 3 – 5) for 30 seconds each, and mix them into the recipe. Use hidden veggie cubes sparingly to avoid changing the flavor too drastically. To freeze for later: Double or triple the recipe; Place on a flat surface to freeze; Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag; Re-heat in microwave or toaster oven as needed.

Choose a Baked Good Mix

• Pancakes

• Waffles

• Muffins

• Cornbread

• Bread loaf or rolls

• Brownies

• Cookies

• Cake

Choose a Brand

• Simple Mills (gluten free)

• Kodiak (added protein)

• Miss Jones (keto and paleo)

• Hungry Harry’s (allergen free)

• Lakanto (sugar free)

Replace all water or milk and half oil or butter with fruit:

• Applesauce

• Mashed banana

• Fruit pouch (any fruit and vegetable combination)

• Canned pumpkin, butternut squash or sweet potato

• Pureéd Cauliflower

Healthy Snack Notes

• Add organic carrot powder and/or organic beet powder for easy hidden veggie snacks for kids or adults.

• For added protein, add organic hemp seeds for hidden protein, omegas, iron, magnesium, potassium and more essential vitamins and minerals. These soft, mild tasting seeds are nutrient powerhouses can be mixed into your chocolate popcorn or anything from salads to smoothies to secretly healthy ice cream milk shakes.

Healthy Chocolate Popcorn Recipe

Ingredients

• Fat-free popcorn (see directions below)

• Sugar-free chocolate (see directions below)

• Dairy-free milk

• Salt

Directions

1. Make fat-free organic popcorn in any oil-free hot air popcorn popper or choose a low-calorie, store bought option like Skinny Pop.

2. In a large tupperware container or bowl, make homemade fudge by mixing equal parts unsweetened cacao powder and melted coconut oil with a splash of milk, and liquid monk fruit sweetener. Alternatively, melt sugar-free dark chocolate like Lily's  Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Bar with a splash of milk.

3. Once chocolate is melted, fill container 3/4 full with popcorn and shake or stir until popcorn is coated with chocolate.

4. Add salt to taste.

5. Store in an airtight Tupperware container in the fridge o harden chocolate.

Want chocolate covered pretzels instead? Replace popcorn with gluten-free pretzels for a delicious healthy sweet and salty snack.

Sweet and Salty Sautéed Walnuts Recipe

Directions

• Walnuts

• Sugar-free monk fruit maple syrup

• Olive oil (any mild oil)

• Salt

Directions

1. In a small pan, add a coating of oil, handful of walnuts, dash of salt and a splash of sugar-free monk fruit maple syrup and sautée until slightly toasted.

These sea salt maple toasted walnuts are delicious on their own as a healthy snack or appetizer, or as an addition to salad or yogurt. Use pecans, gluten-free pretzels, gluten free rice Chex cereal and/or rye chips for a sweet and salty snack mix.

Want to make any comfort food, snack or dessert healthy for you or your little one? Hide veggies in your or your kid’s favorite foods with easy, healthy swaps and add-ins. Browse my Hidden Veggie Recipe Cookbook.

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From my two-minute bread and cookie dough to my ten-minute chicken nuggets, biscuits, crackers, cookies and cakes, and more healthy hidden veggie meals, desserts, snacks, dinners and breakfasts like healthy chocolate chip banana bread that are fun and easy for kids and adults to “eat the rainbow” every day. Say goodbye to meal prep stress. You can feel good about eating and feeding your family healthy, unprocessed, comfort food, snacks and sweet treats that contain hidden fruits, veggies and nutrient-dense whole ingredients - start with my hidden veggie healthy crackers for a delicious healthy snack for toddlers, kids and adults and try my Hidden Veggie Cookbook for more secretly healthy kids recipes.