29: Kids Make Homemade Guacamole as a Healthy Snack

When my son Paul was in fourth grade, he had to do a “how-to” speech for his class. He could have taught anything from raising a caterpillar to swinging a baseball bat, but I nudged him in the direction of food.

“What about a healthy snack kids can make? You love making homemade guacamole…”

He did end up demonstrating how to make guacamole, and that day was a realization for me, that the ONLY recipe he knew was homemade guac!

I determined to buckle down and teach my kids to cook that summer, and thus began the Kids Cook Real Food^™ eCourse!

Now his sister makes us healthy snacks like homemade granola bars and more all the time, I get a night off cooking every week because the kids take over, and he’s even published a cookbook for kids with some friends.

All because of a speech in fourth grade!

Maybe this recipe will be life-changing for you as well. 😉

I opened up my (fake) TEDx talk with the story—check it out and join the #KidsMealRevolution here!

Perfect Healthy Snack for Kids: Guacamole and Veggies

Guacamole is the perfect dip for veggies and we make it ALL the time! This recipe is not only a family favorite, it’s the perfect chance to get the kids in the kitchen to practice different skills.

From letting little ones mash the avocado, to the big kids getting a chance to practice their knife skills: everyone can help with this recipe!

Can’t see the video? Click to watch “Easy Guacamole for Kids” on YouTube.

No time to watch the whole video? Here are the notes!

Kids Make Homemade Guacamole

• 0:07: Guacamole is a family favorite at our house! We love to dip carrots, cucumbers, and other raw veggies in it. Did you know that when you eat raw vegetables it’s best to have a healthy fat along with them to help your body absorb the vitamins and minerals?

• 0:37: Paul cuts up the avocado. Here’s a trick: use a fork to scoop it out and mash the avocado as you remove it from the skin!
• 1:00: It’s harder for little kids to mash an entire half of an avocado in a bowl so using a fork to scrape it out works really well.
• 1:23: Paul adds the juice of a lime. You can use lemon as well, but it will taste different and may be too much liquid. The acidity of the lime juice decreases browning of the avocado.
• 1:53: We add an adobo seasoning and some salt. If it tastes a little dull or flat, you almost always need to add more salt. Taste as you go!

Don’t under salt your guac! -Paul

• 3:34: Watch for some bloopers!

Homemade Guacamole Healthy Snack Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• 1 Tbs. lime juice
• 1 tsp. adobo seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Ask an adult to cut and pit the avocado if you aren’t trained in how to use a chef’s knife.
2. Mash the avocado using one of these ways:
   1. Use a fork or large spoon and scrape out a little bit at a time into a bowl (almost like you’re scraping ice off a car or forming a shape on a sandcastle bit by bit). It’s easiest if you flip the utensil over, not the way you’d hold it to eat.
   2. Scoop into a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher.
   3. Scoop all the avocado into a bowl with a spoon and use an immersion blender (hand blender) to whiz it up.
   4. Use a food processor.
3. Stir in the lime (or lemon), adobo seasoning, and salt. You might start with less juice at first since you can always add more but you can’t take it out.
4. Taste and add more seasoning if you’d like.
5. Serve with chips and salsa, raw veggies (carrots, peppers, etc.) to dip, or with any Mexican meal.

Adobo Seasoning

• 1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. Mexican oregano [or 1 Tbs. regular oregano]
• 1 Tbs. cumin
• 1 Tbs. garlic powder
• 1 Tbs. onion powder
• 1 Tbs. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper