Summer Snacks Perfect for Families

Summer snacks can be as easy or complicated as you like. Whether you're slicing up fresh fruit from the local farmer's market or creating a delicious ice cream sundae, there are so many great options to choose from. It doesn't matter if you're sitting down for a movie with the family or trying to keep the kids cool during the hot weather, there's something fun you can make. Here are five summer snacks that are perfect for families.

Watermelon
Watermelon is such a great summer snack. It's perfect for barbecues, low in calories, and helps keep your family hydrated during the hot summer months. Best of all though, watermelon can be used to dress several different desserts, including sorbet. Keep a watermelon on hand for an easy, healthy snack.

Ice Cream Sundaes
If you want to treat your family to something more sinful, but not loaded with calories, you can make ice cream sundaes using reduced-fat products. For example, Dreyer's/Edy's® Slow Churned Light Ice Cream would be amazing covered in a low-fat hot fudge sauce.

Grilled Pineapple
When grilling up a family dinner, use that leftover heat to grill slices or wedges of pineapple. Once the pineapple is grilled, drizzle with honey. This summer snack is not only healthy, but delicious as well.

Smoothies
Another quick and healthy summer snack for families is a smoothie. Smoothies are healthy, but can be made in thousands of different ways. Whether you want a strawberry-banana smoothie or a banana-peanut butter smoothie, you can create it in a matter of minutes. To keep your smoothies from tasting watered down, freeze part of the fresh fruit so that you don't have to use ice.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas
Last, but not least, children and adults both love chocolate covered bananas. While this summer snack may sound unhealthy, it's actually very healthy. The key is to dip the bananas in dark chocolate, which is much healthier than milk or white chocolate. You can then sprinkle with chopped nuts for a boost of protein.

Summer snacks don't have to be loaded with fat and calories. There are a number of snacks that your family will love that are actually healthy. Whether it's ice cream or smoothies, your family will love these summer snacks.

Content by Amy Brantley .