A bit of background about the book: In the fall of 2011, we came up with an idea to write a healthy kids’ snack cookbook as a fundraiser for our school wellness committee. We knew we wanted a really useful resource for parents, like us, who were struggling to come up with interesting and healthy snacks to feed their families. We worked with a local publisher to design and print the books, and turned to our community to raise the money for printing.
After raising over $10,000 in 30 days on Kickstarter to help cover publishing and printing costs, we knew other people were excited about our vision. We chose recipes with busy families in mind, and made sure they were all easy, with simple ingredients, and, most importantly, appealing to kids. After a year of recipe testing, tastings, modifications, kid and food photo shoots, & proof editing we are thrilled to present you with the final product, Super Snacks for Super Kids. We are donating 100% of author proceeds of our first printing to the Mineral Point School District Wellness committee. With the sale those 2,000 books, we expect to raise $34,000 for our small rural school to promote wellness projects.
Disclaimer: we have never written a cookbook before, and we are not gourmet chefs! We are, first and foremost, moms who are passionate about teaching our kids to love healthy foods. We hope that our book helps to inspire other families to improve their nutrition, one snack at a time.
In the book, you will find a collection of simple snack recipes packed with the nutrition your kids need to feel energized throughout the day. All too often, the foods kids get for “snacks” are really “treats.” As often as possible, encourage your kids to snack on healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains rather than junk food or sweets. Snacks should ideally include a fruit or vegetable and be something that provides the type of energy needed for their various activities. The book will help you meet your kids’ needs so that they can be their super selves all day long. It’s divided into six sections: Snacks for Focus, Snacks for After School, Snacks for Play, Snacks for After Play, Snacks for A Crowd, and Staples. Each section contains recipes specifically designed to meet kids’ nutritional needs for their various activities.
We have included only recipes that are reasonable for busy families to prepare, with a basic set of ingredients that you should be able to find in most grocery stores. These recipes are meant to be a guide, not a script — you can make additions or modifications to help fit each recipe to your family’s preference. We hope that this book will also spark your child’s interest in helping in the kitchen. They are much more likely to try a new food if they have been involved in preparing it! If you teach healthy eating habits early, kids are more likely to make good choices on their own, building a foundation for lifelong wellness.
Scattered through the book, you’ll find tips for choosing foods in the grocery store. The food industry has become very savvy and products are marketed in ways that make people believe that they are healthy. If you are new to reading labels, start out by trying to improve one product each time you go to the store. This does not have to be an immediate overhaul of your family’s diet — you will get there over time. In addition, you’ll find some recipe modifications to accommodate food allergies, and some explanations of special diets that you might encounter in your child’s classmates.
Finally, our soapbox: whenever you can, eat real food. Avoid artificial sweeteners, processed foods, or foods that are naturally full of fat being turned into “low-fat” products. Get the real stuff and eat a wide variety of foods in moderation.
We hope you and your super kids love the recipes in the book as much as we do!
Happy snacking!
Sarah and Julie