Cucumbers: 4 ways to give a healthy snack to your kids

Cucumber are an often overlooked vegetable in a child’s diet, primarily because they generally don’t like its otherworldly look. However, it’s possible to change their minds if the presentation is just right.

When you add cucumbers to your child’s diet you’re adding a healthy, inexpensive snack alternative to other go-to’s like potatoes or corn, for example. Cucumbers are also very versatile: steam, boil, bake, stir-fry or microwave and serve cucumbers as a vegetable, in soup, or stuffed. There are so many ways, your kids will never grow tired of them.

Want to get the snack party started? Here are a few ideas:

Cucumber And Garlic Dip: Coarsely grate 3 medium Lebanese cucumbers. Squeeze out excess moisture. Add 500g yoghurt, 3 cloves minced garlic, a tablespoon chopped mint and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Serve with pita bread.
Cucumber And Crab Rounds: Mix 250g cream cheese with 3 tablespoons yoghurt, 2 teaspoons each chopped coriander, chopped chives and dash of Tabasco. Stir in 250g crab meat, flaked. Cut 3-4 Lebanese cucumbers in 2cm thick slices. Top with crab mixture and serve with finely diced red capsicum.
Cucumber And Peanut Salad: Halve 3 medium cucumbers lengthwise and remove seeds with a spoon. Thinly slice and mix with 2 tablespoons sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons white vinegar. Add minced garlic, thinly sliced red onion and capsicum, then sweet chilli sauce to taste. Sprinkle with roasted unsalted peanuts and chopped coriander leaves.
Cold Cucumber Soup: Peel and deseed 2 medium cucumbers and chop 2 tomatoes, puree coarsely with an equal amount of sour cream or cottage cheese, 1/4 cup chopped white onion and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir in enough chicken stock to make thick soup. Chill. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and diced capsicum.

Do you have any favorite cucumber recipes? Tell us in the comments section below.