Disclosure: I was asked to participate in the California Raisins. Sweet. Naturally. campaign as a member of Healthy Aperture Blogger Network.  I received free samples of California Raisins used in this post and I was compensated for my time. 

han-gry

(han-gree) adj

a state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing a negative change in emotional state.

Has this word crept into your vocabulary?  Are you hearing your kids use it?   Moms and Dads beware, when kids get home from a long day of school, they are often ‘hangry’. But here’s the good news, healthy snacks are your weapon against ‘hanger’!  And if you have a student athlete, healthy after school snacks timed before school sports practice can fight the  hunger cravings of active kids, and they can also boost your kids athletic performance! Rah! Rah!

So what IS a healthy snack can you feel good about? One that will curb hunger and fuel sports performance. Smart snack choices, are not just empty calories. They’re packed with nutritious foods; like California Raisins. Sweet. Naturally. The nutrition label tells a good story: zero fat, no cholesterol, and NO ADDED SUGAR!  Plus, raisins provide 9% of your daily fiber and potassium and 6% of your daily iron (per quarter cup serving).

Now if you’re among the parents concerned about your kids getting excessive calories, here’s a point you’ll want to take note of. Research has shown kids eating raisins, as an after school snack, may actually consume less calories and  may experience more satiety (feeling of fullness) when compared to other common snacks, including cookies and chips.

Delicious California Raisins are not only a  wholesome, healthy snack  they’re convenient, portable and affordable. According to the USDA, raisins are the most ecomonical dried fruit. Keep them on hand  and pack them into lunch boxes, gym bags or your desk drawer.  Consider adding them to recipes to bring out the flavor and boost the nutritional value of simple snacks, like  kid friendly banana pops with orange, raisin, sunflower seed granola.

Make these in two easy steps and don’t be shy about geting the  kids involved. Start by  making the granola.  Then add the shell and freeze. You can do it all at once or break it up.  However you do it, this after school snack will give your kids (and you)  the health benefits of raisins in a frozen pop everyone will love. 

For more information about California Raisins visit www.loveyourraisins.com<rel=”nofollow”/a>.

Frozen Banana Pops

Frozen banana pops are naturally sweet and especially good with orange, raisin and sunflower seed granola. 

• Author: Diane Boyd
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

for the granola

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons dry roasted sunflower kernels
• 1/3 cup California raisins

for the frozen banana

• 2 ripe bananas
• 4 craft sticks
• 1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

Instructions

for the granola

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. in a medium bowl combine oats, honey, canola oil, orange juice, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Spread mixture on a nonstick foil lined baking sheet.

3. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until oats are golden brown (about 20- 25 minutes).

4. Cool. Add sunflower seeds and raisins. Mix to combine. Set aside.

for the frozen banana

1. Slice bananas in half and insert craft stick.

2. Using a spatula, spread vanilla yogurt evenly around each banana half.

3. Working over a dish, sprinkle granola mixture over yogurt covered banana. If necessary, press raisins lightly to assure they stick to the yogurt coated banana and won’t fall off.

4. Place on baking sheet and put in the freezer until frozen, about 2 hours.

5. Serve immediately or wrap in freezer wrap and store in freezer for up to 2 weeks.