Yummy Poolside Snacks for Summer

The ideal snack at the swimming pool is light and refreshing, easily digestible and tasty too! Here are a few ideal choices for those hot hazy days of August, to stay refreshed and safe. Remember, don’t use glass in you pool area, and always wait a few minutes after eating, before tackling those lengths!

Instead of traditional fruit salad, have a little fun and serve chunks of pineapple, strawberries, plums, kiwis and melon on skewers instead. For an even sweeter twist, serve alongside creamy chocolate and orange sauces. Taking them to go? Pack the sauces in airtight containers.

16 large strawberries

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup fat-free sour cream

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. freshly grated orange peel

2 tbsp. fresh orange juice

You also need: Sixteen 10- to 12-in. wooden skewers

1. Chocolate Sauce: Microwave chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl on high at 30-second intervals until cream is steaming hot. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until chips have melted and sauce is smooth and starts to thicken. Stir in corn syrup. Cool to room temperature or, stirring often, refrigerate to cool quickly. Sauce will thicken more as it cools. If sauce is too thick, warm gently in microwave.

Tips : Prepare Chocolate Sauce and store up to 8 hours at room temperature or refrigerate up to 5 days (to serve, heat, then cool to room temperature). Make Orange Sauce up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate. Prepare and/or cut fruit and skewer up to 8 hours before serving. Refrigerate covered.

One batch of these flavorful oat bars will be top-sellers at any bake sale or as an afternoon snack. Plus they can satisfy the hungriest swimmer, and provide great nutrition for a busy swim-filled afternoon!

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 5 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup unsalted roasted almonds
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch kosher salt

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides.
2. Place the butter, honey, and sugar in a large pot and cook over medium-low heat until melted, about 3 minutes; remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, cranberries, flour, and salt. Add the oat mixture to the butter mixture and fold until just combined. Gently press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Using the overhangs, transfer the bar to a cutting board and cut into 24 pieces.

A simple snack, that goes light on the carbs, and high in protein. Perfect for a pool-side pick me up! Best of all, these roll-ups are as delicious as they are easy to make.

32 slices dry hard salami, sliced thin (Like Hormel Hard, or also Genoa works well)

8 ounces cream cheese

Green onion

1. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese on a slice of salami, at least covering the center, but not necessary to go all the way to the edge.

2. Place a 3-4 inch-long piece of green onion into the center of the salami, on top of cream cheese.

3. Roll up and pin with a toothpick. Refrigerate if not serving immediately. Easy as that, and so yummy!