(ARA) - School means a return to packing lunches and preparing after-school snacks. Make this school year fun with a new collection of easy-to-make snack recipes from the National Honey Board.

Instead of giving your kids the same boring sandwich, jazz up their lunchbox and snacks with a few easy tips:

* Update a Classic

Honey gives a new twist to an old favorite. Try a PB&H by switching out the jelly for honey, and this sandwich will be a new lunchbox staple.

* Wrap, roll and skewer

Wrap fixings in a tortilla for a handy "to go" snack. Cut sandwiches into small, flattened, crustless squares; spread bread with honey and chopped fruit, and roll into kid-friendly sushi rolls or fashion them into kebabs.

* Prepare for the snack attack

Make a double batch of snacks and keep them on-hand when hungry bellies come calling. Honey-sweetened granola bars stay fresh in tightly sealed containers and banana pops store perfectly in the freezer. Honey is also a natural preservative that will keep your snacks extra-fresh.

* Customize to fit cravings

Snack time is more fun with your favorite and colorful toppings. Roll a banana pop in graham cracker crumbs, dried fruit or coconut for a fun, individualized sweet treat.

*Reach for a quick dip

Eating fruit is twice as fun with a naturally-sweetened dip! Keep individual serving-sized packages of honey fruit dip in the refrigerator where it's ready to grab and go.

Add energy and brain-power to your kid's school day with good-for-you snacks made with pure honey. Honey is a great all-natural sweetener with no added ingredients. Read the label to make sure you purchase 100 percent, pure honey.

The National Honey Board provides a full collection of snack recipes and tips in the Honey Snack Recipe Brochure, complete with colorful photography. To receive a free copy of the brochure, visit www.honey.com/snack or send your mailing address to Pure Honey Snacks Brochure, PO Box 14636, Madison, WI 53708.

For more recipes using pure honey, or to find out more on the benefits of using honey, visit www.honey.com. To find a local honey producer or special honey variety, visit www.honeylocator.com.

Here are some tasty recipes you may want to try:

Honey Raspberry Kiwi Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
1 ripe kiwi, peeled and diced
1/2 cup unsweetened, frozen raspberries
1/2 cup honey
8 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt
Fresh fruit for dipping (strawberries, pineapple, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapes, bananas, etc.)

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine kiwi, raspberries and honey; puree. Stir in yogurt. Serve with sliced fresh fruit.

Honey Peanut Butter Banana Roll-Ups
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 wheat tortillas
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1/3 cup dried cranberries or mixed-dried fruit
2 ripe bananas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place tortillas on a foil-lined baking sheet. Mix honey, peanut butter and cranberries in a bowl until blended. Spread honey mixture over tortillas to within 1/2-inch of edges. Place peeled banana on edge of tortilla; roll up. Repeat with remaining banana and tortilla. Place both seam side down and wrap foil around roll-ups, sealing all edges. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until filling is warm.

(Heating roll-ups is optional)

Courtesy of ARA Content