Whether you're going ice skating or planning a cozy movie night in with your nieces and nephews, it's important to feed them right. Choosing quality snacks and timing their meals will keep them happy during your precious time together.

Once you understand a few nutrition basics, your nieces and nephews will be so even-keel that their parents will ask you for advice. Before taking them out for the day, ask their parents when and what they ate last.  If it's been more than two hours (for toddlers and up) since their last meal, it's a good idea to provide them with something substantial before starting any activities with them. Not all kids are hard-wired the same but it's best to play it safe and keep them well-fed so that their blood sugar stays balanced.

Many kids love simple carbohydrates – white bread, pasta, fruit, certain raw vegetables, and sweets fall into this category. Once digested, a meal of only simple carbohydrates will break down into sugars very quickly. Depending on each individual’s body chemistry, this can lead to a spike in blood sugar that will suddenly drop. This can cause your nieces and nephews to go from very energetic to grumpy in a short amount of time. By pairing simple carbohydrates with protein, you can keep their blood sugar balanced and everyone smiling. 

Kid-Friendly Blood Sugar Balancers:

Dairy Proteins: yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, cheese

Vegetarian & Dairy-Free Proteins: soymilk, tofu, beans (kids often love beans because they are natural finger foods), nuts and nut butters (if they aren't allergic)

Animal Proteins: (these balance blood sugar for the longest amount of time) turkey slices, chicken, fish, (fish sticks if they are picky), eggs

Of course, since you're a Savvy Auntie, you'll still want to spoil them with treats! As long as they have some protein in their system, a little sugar shouldn’t be a problem. Remember, though, that you shouldn’t feed them nuts if they are going to be around other children. Even touching allergic children with peanut butter fingers can cause a dangerous reaction.

If you'd like to prepare healthful snacks that they'll love, here are a couple of recipes and suggestions on how to include your nieces and nephews in the cooking process. Kids are much more likely to eat something if they help prepare it. And the recipes are so simple that even novice adult cooks can follow them!

Finger Lickin’ Good Chicken Strips

¾ cup milk or soymilk
2 teaspoons (unprocessed) maple syrup
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips
2/3 cup cornflake crumbs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Coarse salt

Kids ages 6 and up: In a large, shallow dish, combine milk and maple syrup.

ADULTS ONLY: Add chicken, and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour or up to overnight turning occasionally. When you're ready to cook, heat broiler – make sure rack is around 5 inches from the top of oven.

Kids any age: To make cornflake crumbs, place whole cornflakes in ziplock bag, seal well and let kids roll with rolling pin, toy truck or bang with hands. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate.

KIDS ages 6 and up: Lift chicken from milk, dredge in breadcrumbs, covering it well by patting. Wrap foil over baking sheet large enough to hold chicken in a single layer and rub with oil. Lightly brush top of chicken with oil.

ADULTS ONLY: Broil 4 inches from heat source for around 5 minutes and turn carefully using tongs and cook for 2-3 more minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove from oven; sprinkle with salt. Serve with all-natural ketchup.

Serves 4-6
Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 50 minutes (or more for marinating)

Parmesan Cheese Puffs
A healthier, homemade alternative to store-bought cheese puffs and higher in protein - children of all ages love this dish.

2 cups mashed Russet potatoes*
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 - 1/3 cup bread crumbs
Kosher salt or sea salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Extra bread crumbs for coating

ADULTS ONLY: Preheat oven to 350º F degrees.

Kids of Any Age: Mix potatoes, eggs, cheese, salt and pepper together well. Add bread crumbs to mixture until it’s not sticky to touch. Roll into balls the size of ping pong balls. Coat each ball with more bread crumbs and lay on greased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper).

ADULTS ONLY: Bake for 15 minutes or until the outside starts to brown and turn crispy.

*To make 2 cups mashed potatoes, boil 4-5 Russet potatoes in large pot of water until very tender. Cool, peel and mash.

KID TIPS

Once the potatoes are cool enough, let 8-10 year old kids peel and mash the potatoes with a masher. They love all kinds of kitchen tools but the masher is a favorite!

They can make the balls smaller or larger as long as they are all the same size so they cook evenly.

Serves 4-6
Active time: 10 minutes Total time: 45 minutes

Recipes by Julie Negrin