Healthy Snacks for Kids? Try Our Breakfast Cookies Recipe These School Holidays

There's a particular kind of holiday morning that starts slowly. No school run, no rush, and a little more room in the day than usual. Somewhere in that slower morning, someone usually wanders into the kitchen looking for a snack. When it comes to healthy snacks for kids, something you've baked together is hard to beat.

These breakfast cookies are a nice thing to have on hand for exactly that. They're simple to make, they keep well through the week, and they give you something easy to do together while you're all a bit more relaxed. They're soft, lightly sweet, and made from real ingredients you can pronounce.

Here's what we'll cover: why they work as a holiday snack, how to make them (with the kids, if you like), a little more on the dates that sweeten them, and a few questions we're often asked.

Why These Healthy Breakfast Cookies Work as a School Holiday Snack

Many snacks that are quick to reach for are built around refined sugar, which tends to give a quick lift and then leave everyone crashing soon after. These are different. They're built around oats, seeds, almond meal and a scoop of our vanilla shake. So there's real substance to each one, not just sweetness.

That matters over the school holidays, when things can get a bit busy and snacks can end up doing a bit more of the work. Something with protein and fibre tends to hold us more comfortably between meals. They also travel well, which is handy for a day out in the park or in the car.

Nutrition is only ever one part of the picture, of course. If you're ever unsure about what suits your family, your GP or dietitian is the right person to ask.

Baking Them Together

Part of the appeal here is that it's an easy recipe to create together. Kids can help squish the dates, mix the dry ingredients and roll the mixture into balls before flattening them. It's a great way to fill a slow holiday morning together.

The Recipe

Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop Enlighten Me Vanilla Meal Replacement Shake
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup almond meal
• ½ cup pumpkin seed meal
• ½ cup desiccated coconut
• ¼ cup flaxseed meal
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 10 large Medjool dates
• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ⅓ cup 70% dark chocolate drops
• ⅓ to ½ cup water, if needed

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray.
2. Pit the dates, then soak and blend them into a purée.
3. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
4. Add the date purée, honey and olive oil. Add a little water if the mixture is dry, then fold through the chocolate drops.
5. Roll the mixture into egg-sized balls and flatten them onto the tray.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden.
7. Cool completely before serving.

A Little More on Medjool Dates

If you haven't baked with Medjool dates before, they're worth getting to know. They're a whole food, soft and sticky, with a deep caramel sweetness, and that's what makes these cookies taste like a treat without the addition of any refined sugar. When blended into a purée, they also help to bind the mixture, which is why there's no need for eggs here.

They're a lovely ingredient to introduce kids to as well. Squishing the pit out of a fresh date is exactly the kind of small hands-on job that children enjoy, and it's a quiet way of showing them that sweetness can come from real food.

A Few Questions We're Often Asked

Are breakfast cookies actually healthy?
It depends entirely on what's inside them. A cookie built mostly on refined flour and sugar will be a sometimes food. One built from whole ingredients such as oats, seeds, almond meal and dates, like this one, is a different thing. As always, the ingredients list tells you more than the name does.

Can you make protein cookies without protein powder?
Yes. There are plenty of whole-food sources of protein, and this recipe leans on several of them: oats, almond meal, pumpkin seed meal and seeds. We've also added a scoop of our vanilla shake, which is a good source of protein at over 32g per serve, so it lifts the protein a little while adding a soft vanilla flavour. You don't need a scoop of isolated protein powder to make it work.

Are these okay for school lunchboxes?
They travel and keep well, which makes them practical for lunchboxes and day trips. One thing to note: this recipe contains almond meal and sesame, so it isn't suitable for a nut-free or seed-free classroom.

Are they gluten free or FODMAP friendly?
Our vanilla shake is certified gluten free and FODMAP Friendly on its own, but this recipe as a whole isn't. Some of the other ingredients don't fit those categories. Oats are a good example, as they're generally not gluten free unless they're a specific type that's been labelled that way. If gluten or FODMAPs matter for your family, it's worth checking the individual ingredients first.

How long do they keep?
These are best eaten fresh, and they do tend to go quickly. If you're storing them, keep them in an airtight container and eat within three days.

A Closing Thought

Sometimes the most enjoyable part of a holiday together is a slow morning, a little mess in the kitchen and something warm coming out of the oven that you've all made together. If you'd like a simple place to start, this is a good one.

This blog provides general information only. For information tailored to your own circumstances, please speak to your own treating practitioner.