Truth is we’re still strung out on a high-fructose corn syrup high. You can imagine the mother load of candy four Littles rack up on Halloween. I’ve heard some mother’s offer to pay their children a coin or two for each piece of candy in an attempt to rid the burden. Friends, I’m not that rich. Coins or not, we don’t have enough to make a dent in the mound of well, Mounds we’ve got going on over here.
In a rare occurrence, I am alone in the house this morning. I’ve circled the loot several times, hovering just long enough to consider dumping every last piece of candy in the garbage. But the Littles would never forgive me. I really should give them a warning I’m going to dump every last piece of their candy in the garbage.
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time figuring out healthy snacks for the Littles. Oh I know! I’ll offer carrots or celery. Or ruta-frickin-baga! That’ll work. Just about as well as the perennial fruit basket on the counter that goes untouched every.single.day. Nope, I need to give some serious thought to after school snacks. It’s just so easy to grab those goldfishy things and go…
The deluge of candy this weekend and the never-ending quest for healthy snacks the Littles will actually eat preoccupies much of my food thoughts lately. So I thought I’d kick the week off with a snack I know the Littles like. Will the Littles actually choose sweet potato bites over a Snickers? Um, no. That’s why I get paid the big bucks. To offer encouragement in their choices. Or force them. Either way.
If you need a healthy alternative to the butterfingerextravaganza, try these sweet potato bites. They are cheap, easy, and healthy. Which is at least a step in the right direction. Enjoy!
Sweet Potato Bites
2-3 sweet potatoes
olive oil
cinnamon
Peel and cube sweet potatoes. I make small cubes for little fingers.
Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large plastic bag.
Add a glug of olive oil and as much cinnamon as you like. Seal the plastic bag and shake to evenly coat each sweet potato cube with oil and cinnamon.
Spread on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Sweet potato bites are also delicious blended in a smoothie with vanilla yogurt!
These are definitely a staple in my house!! Also if you buy any chicken fajita seasoning you can do the same thing and they are just as darn good! I’ve won over many sweet potato haters with these recipes!
ps. totally going to try the smoothie!!!!
My littles left their piles of candy for the “Halloween Fairy” this year in return for $5 each. Worked like a charm! These look good . . . I think the baby would love them!
I’d pick these any day over a Snickers! But when I was a kid I absolutely hated them. I didn’t want my savory food to taste sweet.
L-O-V-E the smoothie idea! Should there every be any leftover sweet potato bites I will certainly use them up in a tasty beverage.
I love these! Sweet potatoes are so yummy!
Also, heard a good idea about what to do with Halloween candy…bake a cake with icing and then let them decorate it with all of their candy. They have to unwrap it all and can crush it up and sprinkle, stick it on, etc. Then they probably won’t eat it or might just have a few bites AND their candy is gone 🙂 Only problem with your situation is that you may need 3 or 4 cakes to use 4 buckets full of candy!
Making some today!