5 Healthy Treats for Mother’s Day: Family Make & Take Deliciousness

I don’t know about you, but sometimes Mother’s Day can be a bit unhealthy and even still kid-centric instead of mom-centric. All those chocolates and candy boxes…it’s like Valentine’s Day all over again. Why not try some healthy treats for Mother’s Day that are also great for a healthy mom’s day out? Hey, mom care is family care, right?

Healthy Treats for Mother’s Day

Here are some easy, healthy treats for Mother’s Day that your kids can make or you can make together. Then, you can all go for a bike ride, a hike, letter boxing or geocaching adventure, visit a zoo or garden, or another nature activity. Add in this super cute preschool family tree craft and you’ve got an awesome special day for mom!

Make GORP

This is a trail mix that includes nuts, seeds, dried fruit and chocolate. What are mom’s favorites? Some great combinations are:

• almonds, sunflower seeds, raisins, and M &M’s
• pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate nibs
• peanuts, sunflower seeds, chocolate covered raisins, dried banana slices
• walnuts, pumpkin seeds, yogurt covered dried cranberries

Usually, the proportions are 1/2 cup nuts, 1/4 cup seeds, 1/4 cup dried fruit, and 1/8-1/4 cup chocolate. But, you can switch this up as you like, of course!

Dipped Fruit

Healthy treats for Mother’s Day can include chocolate, just not milk chocolate. Chocolate secrets include a healthy source of iron and B12, as well as antioxidants. But, it has to be dark chocolate, the darker the better. So, this Mother’s Day, maybe try an alternative to the box of chocolates and try making your own dipped fruit.

This tastes best with apples or strawberries, but strawberries go bad quickly and might not travel well if you are planning to take them along on a trip. First, be sure to buy chocolate that is at least 70% dark. Some of my personal favorites are: Theo, Hu, Lily’s, and Alter Eco.

Once, you have your chocolate, melt it down over low heat or a double-boiler. Some people recommend adding a bit of coconut oil or other fat that is hard at room temperature. That way, the chocolate will harden over the fruit and is less likely to melt. Once it melted, then dip your fruit in the melted dark chocolate. Or, you can drizzle it over the fruit for a less messy but elegant alternative.

Don’t want to bother with all that? You can simply purchase dipped fruit for your healthy treats for Mother’s Day, too!

Popcorn…with a twist

Plain ol’ popcorn isn’t all that special and doesn’t get me excited about Mother’s Day. But, popcorn with a drizzle…well, that’s a bit different.

It doesn’t have to be a sweet drizzle and it could even be a special seasoning that makes it a yummy savory make-and-take healthy treat for Mother’s Day. If you choose to do a drizzle, I highly recommend spreading the popcorn out on a cookie sheet before drizzling it with one of the following:

• melted dark chocolate
• honey or maple syrup
• Amoretti butterscotch syrup
• Amoretti raspberry syrup
• Amoretti caramel syrup

Let the drizzle settle a bit on the popcorn before carefully bagging it. A savory drizzle might include melted butter with a sprinkle of onion or garlic powder.

Why do I list Amoretti syrups? Well, a drizzle isn’t going to ruin the “healthy” aspect of the popcorn too much, but if you use an unhealthy syrup, it will. Amoretti syrups generally have only five ingredients and are about as natural as you’re going to get. No sodium benzoate and other hard to pronounce unhealthy ingredients. These syrups can also be used in coffee, desserts, ice cream, and Italian soda.

Low-carb cookies

Cookies and cakes are not usually thought of as healthy treats for Mother’s Day, but if they are low-carb, why not? They’re portable, offer an energy boost, satisfy the sweet tooth without adding to the waistline, and are just a bit special. There are a lot of recipes online, with most of them featuring almond or coconut flour, coconut or avocado oil, and maple syrup or honey as the sweetener. I usually search for paleo or keto cookie recipes. I won’t list them here because there are just too many good ones!

An alternative is to buy a cookie mix and then, they still have that homemade feel. My favorite lower-carb cookie mixes come from brands like Simple Mills, Otto’s Naturals, and Stellar Eats.

Why not healthy treats for Mother’s Day that are drinkable?

So, the healthiest snacks are fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds, and other whole foods, many of which are perishable. Not the ideal for an on-the-go Mother’s Day. No one wants smooshed, melted, or gross food when they’re out hiking, biking, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors. That’s why I’ve focused on treats that generally pack well. What else packs well? Drinks! Why not give mom (or yourself, haha) a gift of assorted teas and energy drink packs? Or, make a set out of a special water bottle and accompanying drinks.

Be careful about drink mixes, though. Some of them are full of sugar substitutes. And, keep in mind that the kiddos will probably drink from your water bottle full of energy mix. So, I recommend taking a look at:

• Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier
• Drip Drop Hydration
• LMNT Keto Electrolyte Powder
• Keto Vitals Original Keto Electrolytes

Other things you could use would be herbal teas, especially fruity ones like hibiscus, rooibos, raspberry, or mint.

To wrap up, I hope you have some new ideas for healthy treats for Mother’s Day and give one or more of these a try. There’s plenty of room to flex your creative muscle, whether it’s making GORP or putting together a basket of purchased items, don’t let this be another “box of chocolates and some flowers” Mother’s Day!