In the United States, we’re all familiar with Saint Patrick’s Day traditions. But how is Saint Patrick’s Day celebrated in Ireland? While here in the US, we tend to think of a “pub crawl” and wearing green as the primary activities on this special day, in Ireland it is celebrated as more of a religious holiday and is similar to Christmas and Easter. Here are four fun, healthy St Patricks day snacks for kids that are the color green.
The traditional foods of Ireland are in important component of the day. Grand feasts are prepared to be shared with family and friends. Traditional Irish stew, shepherds pie and corned beef and cabbage are popular favorites. Besides these hearty adult dishes, there are lots of just-for-fun foods which are perfect to make with the kids. Green is the color of the day, so get into the kitchen, put on some Celtic music, and get cooking!
Four Fun Healthy St. Patricks Day Snacks For Kids
Green Soda Bread
Add a couple of drops of green food coloring to your favorite traditional soda bread recipe for a cute twist on an old favorite. Just before baking, let the kids decorate the top of the dough with raisins in the shape of a funny face, a shamrock or a leprechaun hat. Alternatively, they can use colored frosting to make Irish-themed designs after baking and cooling. Spinach juice is a great way to get that natural green for coloring.
Fun Green Fruit Platter
Kids can have fun arranging fruits onto a pretty Saint-Patrick’s Day themed platter. Use kiwis, honeydew, green grapes and green apples for a healthy and beautiful green fruit platter.
Perfect Green Peas
You can use fresh or frozen peas for this super-simple dish which is easy for the kids to make. Take three cups of peas and place them in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 Tbsp. olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Have the kids mix them up until they are thoroughly coated, then sautee them in a pan over medium heat till cooked through. They can play with their food before they eat it for extra fun! Let them make the shape of a shamrock on their plate with the peas.
Green Jello With A Twist
Kids love making jello, and Saint Patrick’s Day is a perfect time to make lime flavored jello, but with a twist- add sweetened cream cheese to the recipe for a rich, delicious dessert that tastes like a key lime cheesecake. Put a couple of drops of green food coloring in a half cup of softened cream cheese along with two Tbsp of sugar, and use a hand mixer to blend it into the lime jello mixture before setting in the fridge to cool and harden. While jello is not typically thought of as healthy, you can use a no sugar jello or unflavored gelatin to make it from scratch.
There are also more St. Patrick’s Day ideas below. What fun, healthy St Patricks Day Snacks for kids will you try this year?
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