Irish or not, St. Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate the far off island, the color green, and those mischievous little leprechauns. It’s also a great time to explore fun and healthy snacks for the entire family. As luck would have it, we’ve discovered several recipes and collected them all right here so you can spend more time looking for that pot of gold.
Green Bell Pepper Shamrocks
File this under “Why didn’t I think of that?” Green bell peppers serve as (obvious) shamrocks when sliced thin. Pair them with a zesty dip to make them even more fun to eat.
Taste the REAL rainbow.
Okay, so it’s not real. But it’s really delicious. Bell peppers deliver again, but this time in a fun, full-color way. Gotta love how Mama Nature can “produce” such a great display with so little effort. All it takes is some slicing and that “Parent of the Year” award is in the big black pot.
Rainbow Skewers
Chasing rainbows is hard work, and it seems the only way to catch them is to poke them with a stick. Aren’t these vegetable skewers gorgeous? Almost too pretty to eat, except they smell so good while they roast in the oven that you’ll soon get over that.
Chocolate and Luck-Covered Strawberries
It wouldn’t be a holiday if we didn’t somehow sneak chocolate into one (or four) healthy recipes. In this one, tasty strawberries are doctored up with dark chocolate, tasty sprinkles, and yogurt. It looks fancy and difficult, but it is actually very easy, and super fun for the kids to help with (outside the hot chocolate part). You can find the mini shamrocks in the baking aisle of the grocery store or online.
Minty Chocolate Thumbprints Another treat that looks complicated and is actually very easy to make (are you sensing a theme here?), these minty chocolate thumbprints are just as delicious for adults as they are for kids and make a great dessert after a St. Patrick’s Day meal. Make a batch and take them to work. Maybe they’ll bring you luck in the form of finding a great parking space or having the first cup from the office coffee pot.
Kale Hummus Cucumber Bites
If you are looking for one of the healthiest St. Patrick’s Day snacks around, these are it. Kale is mixed with hummus to create a powerful antioxidant dollap atop some refreshing cucumber. You’ll get healthy fats, protein, fiber, and vegetables in one bite. And you’ll get much more than that because these little guys are pretty tasty.
Shamrock Shake This healthy shake is dye-free, gluten-free, and soy-free, but it certainly isn’t taste-free. Using nothing but a banana, pure peppermint extract, milk, chocolate nibs, and spinach, you can create a healthy Shamrock Shake that is refreshingly good for you and goes perfectly with the green outfit you are wearing. (And we promise you won’t taste the spinach. Those green leaves and and banana get along really well).
See? You don’t have to catch a leprechaun to make your healthy wishes come true. You just need a little elbow grease, some chocolate, Pinterest, and Family Healthcare of Siouxland. Good luck, Siouxland!