Catherine McCord, of Weelicious.com, offers three easy-to-make and nutritious snack options for children to enjoy after school. Skip the sweets and indulge in these healthy, homemade treats instead!

Strawberr-Wee Fruit Leather

Ingredients

3 Cups Strawberries
1 Tbsp Honey

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Remove the stems from the strawberries and rinse.
3. Place the strawberries and honey in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Pour the mixture on to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula in a large rectangle (my rectangle was 11 x 15 inches) making sure that the mixture is completely even.
5. Bake for 2-3 hours (or until it’s dry and not sticky to the touch). Remember, cooking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit. *Every oven is different, so the cooking time maybe less then 2 hours if your oven tends to be hot.
6. Allow to sit and cool at room temperature. It takes several hours for the fruit to soften up (when you first take the leather out of the oven the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit overnight it softens up nicely).
7. Cut with a knife or pizza cutter into strips or use scissors, keeping the paper on, and then roll the leather into “roll ups”.
8. Serve.

(Makes 8 Long Strips)

**Everyone’s berries and ovens are different, so there isn’t one definitive cooking time. The best advice is to spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the baking sheet and keep a close eye on the fruit while it’s cooking. Be prepared for a bit a trial and error and don’t lose your cool.

Carrot Chips

Ingredients

4 Carrots
Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. Using a mandoline or a knife, thinly slice the carrots into rounds.
3. Place the carrot chips on a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Serve.

(Serves 4)

Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Ingredients

1 14 Oz Package Soft Silken Tofu (Try soft silken or Mori-Nu firm silken)
1/3 Cup Pure Cocoa Powder
1/3 Cup Agave Nectar (feel free to use a little more if you want it sweeter)
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to combine.
2. Scrape down the sides of the food processor and blend again to make sure everything is incorporated.
3. Serve immediately or chilled.

(Serves 4)

*Recipes and images courtesy of Catherine McCord, of www.weelicious.com.*