How to Use Skewers in Kids' Lunches

Slide strawberries on to skewers as a healthy lunchtime treat.

Kids' lunch skewers are a creative alternative to uninspired sandwiches and fruit salads. Create healthy and tasty skewers as a special weekend lunch treat, or place them in small plastic containers and pack into school lunches. Finger foods also make handy birthday party lunches. Skewers are a convenient way to get children to eat more fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. Allow kids to customize their own lunch skewers using their favorite ingredients.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Cutting board
• Fresh fruit, such as strawberries and melon
• Cooked meat, such as ham and chicken
• Cheese
• Scissors (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak bamboo skewers in a vessel of cool water for 2 hours to prevent them from splintering. Remove the skewers from the water, and allow them to thoroughly air dry.

2. Wash strawberries in cool water, and cut the stems off. Cut watermelon and cantaloupe into even 1-in. cubes.

3. Slide the fruit pieces on to a skewer, alternating the strawberries and melon pieces. Add prewashed green or purple grapes if space allows.

4. Cut any type of cheese (such as cheddar, swiss or colby), as well as precooked ham or chicken, into 1-in. cubes. Break a soft pretzel or piece of crusty bread into small pieces.

5. Alternate sliding the cheese, meat and bread or pretzel pieces, along with cherry tomatoes, on to a skewer to create a deconstructed sandwich.

6. Cut the tips of the skewers off using scissors as a safety precaution if you desire.

References

• Earth's Kids: Cooking for Kids -- Fruit & Cheese Kabobs
• Lil Sugar: Fun Fruit Skewers For Lil Fans