The health and nutrition of children continues to be our top priority all throughout the year. But when the spirit of Christmas pervades the very air we breathe, we tend to be a little forgiving and a little more lenient when we see and feel our kids' excitement towards the year's end.

But of course, the thought of their health and well-being still lingers at the back of our minds.

So as this year's close draws nigh, let us give our little ones a night (or maybe a couple of nights) to remember by showing them that snacks can be both fun and healthy, all at the same time:

A Christmas Shake (while waiting for Santa to arrive)
Ingredients: 2 frozen bananas, 1 cup of milk, 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips, one-fourth of a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Procedure: Put all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. You may serve with or without a cube or two of ice in a glass.

Chocolate Popcorn
Ingredients: 12 cups of popped popcorn, 2 and a half cups of peanuts (unsalted is okay, but to add more flavor, salted is better), 1 cup of light corn syrup, 11.5 ounces of milk chocolate bits, and half a cup of butter and/or margarine.
Procedure: Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large roasting pan; combine popcorn and nuts. In a saucepan, combine the chocolate morsels, corn syrup and butter/margarine. Cook over medium heat until it boils. Pour it over the popcorn and coat well. Bake (occasionally stirring) for about 30 to 40 minutes. Cool. Line a large bowl with waxed paper; put in cooled popcorn.

Popcorn Balls (a different way to enjoy your popcorn)
Ingredients: 9-ounces of already-popped popcorn, 20 ounces of marshmallows, approximately 2 to 3 big bars of milk chocolate or dark chocolate bars (for melting), 2 tablespoons butter or shortening, 3 to 5 bags of M&M's milk chocolate (preferably with green and red chocolate pieces; the remainder, you can eat while you work).
Procedure: Melt the chocolate bars in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir until shiny and smooth; turn off the heat. In a saucepan, melt the marshmallows with the butter or shortening until smooth; combine with chocolate mix. In a large bowl, put in the popcorn and pour in the mixture; add the M&Ms. Form into balls (spread a little butter on your hands as it is very sticky) and put on waxed paper to set.