The Very Healthy Caterpillar
by Amanda Keefer
Ready for a super cute and fun snack that the kids will love to help make? They will get a kick out of The Very Healthy Caterpillar! These fruit and veggie snacks are the perfect hands-on after school snack or a fun lunchbox idea.
Nutrition Tip: Spinach is low in calories and fat, and high in many vitamins and minerals. Spinach is also a good source of dietary fiber, which is why it is often recommended by registered dietitians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
What is the Very Healthy Caterpillar? Well my kids love all things caterpillars, books, toys, stuffed animals, etc. So we wanted to have a little fun in the kitchen one afternoon so we came up with these caterpillar fruit and vegetable snacks. Each of the kids had one fruit caterpillar and one veggie caterpillar. So you can get creative and use whatever other fruits and vegetables that your family enjoys.
Key Ingredients for The Very Healthy Caterpillar
For the Fruit Caterpillar:
Grapes– Most kids love grapes, so we made sure to incorporate these in this recipe! They are a fun snack that are a heart healthy option, are loaded with Vitamins, can help build strong bones, can help keep your teeth and gums healthy, and much more!
Strawberries– The head of our caterpillar is one of our favorite fruits in our house. Strawberries are a great snack and loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.
Blueberries– Another favorite snack in our house is fresh blueberries. We used these healthy little berries for the antennae. Blueberries are a power food that are high in antioxidants, fiber, can be great for our mental health, and vision!
Make sure to check out our How to Freeze Grapes + Health Benefits Of Grapes
For the Vegetable Caterpillar:
Spinach Wraps– We went with spinach tortillas for this recipe for an extra dose of vegetables. Flour, whole wheat, or herb wraps would be great, too!
Salami– We had some deli meat and wanted to use salami for its great flavor, source of protein, and high in B Vitamins.
Spinach– A handful of this power food goes a long way! Fresh spinach is a great source of Iron, folic acid, and calcium.
Cucumber– the kids love cucumber so we used them as the legs. Cucumbers are a great source of hydration since they are made up mostly of water.
How to make The Very Healthy Caterpillar
Fruit Caterpillar
- Press the chocolate chips into the strawberry for eyes. Then top the pretzels with blueberries and press into the top of the strawberry for antennae.
- Lay the carrots near each grape to represent legs.
Veggie Caterpillar
- Make the salami rolls by laying the tortillas out onto a clean surface. Layer with mayo, salami, spinach and cheese. Roll them up and slice into pieces.
- Slide the salami rolls and tomato onto skewer. Cut slits in tomato and insert black olives for eyes and cucumbers for antennae.
- Use the remaining cucumber to represent legs.
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Make sure to check out these other fun snacks!
The Very Healthy Caterpillar
Ingredients
Fruit Caterpillar
- 6 green grapes
- 1 strawberry leaves hulled
- 2 chocolate chips
- 2 pretzel sticks
- 2 blueberries
- 6 matchstick carrots
Veggie Caterpillar
- 1 tablespoon lowfat mayonnaise
- 1 10-inch spinach wrap
- 2 slices salami
- 1 slice reduced-fat Swiss cheese
- 1/3 cup spinach
- 1 mini seedless cucumber cut into thin strips, divided
- 1 cherry tomato
- 2 olive slices
Instructions
Fruit Caterpillar
- Press chocolate chips into strawberry for eyes. Top pretzels with blueberries. Press into top of strawberry for antennae.
- Lay carrots near each grape to represent legs.
Veggie Caterpillar
- Lay spinach wraps out and spread with mayo.
- Then add spinach, salami, and cheese and roll up and slice.
- Slide pieces and tomato onto skewer. Cut slits in tomato and insert black olives for eyes and cucumbers for antennae.
- Use remaining cucumber to represent legs.
