Back to School: Healthy Farmers Market Snacks

How perfect is the image of an apple on a school desk? They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away—and we love all advice that involves eating fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market. Because it's back to school time (and cold and flu season is right around the corner), we've come up with some healthy snacks using farmers' market ingredients that are perfect for kids (or adults who are kids at heart...).

Fruits and Nuts

It doesn't get easier than spreading apple or pear slices with unsweetened nut butter or topping them with a nuts and honey mixture (Martha Stewart recipe). For a cracker spread, blend unsweetened cocoa powder and honey with a nut butter of your choice.

Vegetables

Kid-friendly vegetable snacks to make include cauliflower tots (Food 4 Tots recipe), kale chips (Eating Well recipe), and zucchini sticks (Delish recipe).

Smoothies and Juices

Who wouldn't love a chocolate avocado smoothie made with unsweetened cocoa powder with avocado and milk and sweetener of your choice (Parenting recipe). For juices, sneak vegetables into a mostly fruit blend—such as beet, apple, and spinach or tomato, carrot, spinach and apple (Inhabitots recipes). Also, consider add-ons. Raw Cane SugarJuice, a vendor at our Manhattan Beach Certified Farmers' Market, uses liquid chlorophyll in its juices for its germ-fighting potential. You can pick up juices or make your own and slip in immunity-boosting ingredients.