Seeking Healthy Snack Ideas

Kari~
What about sugar snap peas, cauliflower, or grape tomatoes? For some different fruit...you could try grapes, orange segments, bananas...or even fruit leather or dried fruit. Whole grained crackers, with cheese and a slice of lunch meat?
I hope that you find something that works for you.

I'm all about nuts. They can be expensive, but Trader Joe's has them for much less than at other grocery stores. You can get a pound of roasted almonds for about $4.50 and they also have cashews, peanuts, pepitas (a seed, I think), walnuts and others. I second the dried fruit idea too. Raisins are great and inexpensive, but dried cherries, cranberries or blueberries are delicious and healthy as well.

My boys love sliced apples with peanut butter. I got some of those small zip lock containers for the peanut butter so they can dip their apples in it. It is the right size, healthy, and it keeps them satisfied!

I love trader joes! their prices are soo great!

I always go there for
Honey Sesame sticks
Organic Banana chips
Chocolate granola bars (organic and cheap! 1.39 per box) Their cereal bars are all natural too and cheap.
Cashews
I make my own Granola and throw that in their lunch with a Organic yogurt, (they think that is the greatest!)

My kids are also on a long carrot kick.. we usually buy the baby carrots but they started asking for a long carrot so I've been peeling them and leaving them long.. they think it's the greatest.

Fruit Leather is always a good one for us too.

You could always purchase fun containers and prepare some veggie bowls ahead of time so they are easy to grab and go.

I make my kids a lunch every morning and put it in their lunch box in the fridge. they are always excited to grab it when they're hungry.

When packing apples I slice them and shake them in a baggie of Orange Juice and then drain it.
That way they don't turn brown. They will last for a few days refrigerated.

Whole wheat bagels and cream cheese is one of our favorites too.

Pretzels are yummy

I've also taken a banana about 1/2 hour before snack and dipped it in yogury rolled it in granola and stuck it in the freezer. Yummm.. they loved it! it did however have to be small chunks. when I used a 1/2 of a banana it was too much!

The sprout Dinner is great for recipes and fun heathy snacks.
http://www.sproutonline.com/sprout/recipes/

Hi Kari -

I just cannot say enough about Cynthia Lair's book Feeding the WHole Family.. You can get it from the library. It has so many good recipes for kids and adults. I have found the snacks in there (noodle salads, brown rice balls, bean wraps) to be great and my kids like eating them. I also like to get some nori and make some sticky rice - I make sushi with whatever I have in the fridge - cream cheese, carrots, cukes, etc. As far as granola bars go, there's a great recipe in "Kids' Fun and Healthy Cookbook" by Nicola Graimes. You toast 1/3 cup of hazelnuts, 2/3 cup of whole oats and 2 Tbsp each of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a frying pan over medium heat for 3 minutes (or until golden). Cool. Put 3/4 cup of raisin, 1 heaping cup of dried apricots (cut into small pieces) and 4 Tbsp orange juice into a food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree into a mixing bowl. Put the nuts, oats and seeds into the food processor and chop fine. Pour this into the mixing bowl with the fruit and combine everything. Line a 7x10 inch baking pan with parchment and spread mixture evenly. Chill for at least 1 hour, until solid, then cut into bars. I really like this bar and so do my kids. I hope your daughter like it too. Good luck!

Hi Kari,
I understand! I have 2 little ones with different wants and ndeeds and one has several allergies. It's hard to find quick and easy options that are still healthy. I often think I am running out of ideas but maybe some of these will be new to you.
Here are some of the snacks we rely on:
* apple slices dipped in almond butter, cashew butter or pumpkin seed butter (available at new seasons - expensive but lasts a long time and v nutritious). Celery or cucumber sticks or sugar snap peas also work well with the nut butters
* Not my idea, but someone told M. about spreading nut butter on a celery stick and sticking raisins on top - apparently this is ants on a log
* hummus or guacamole (I used to make my own but now grab it off the shelves at Trader Joe's) with with some kind of cracker or chip to dip. I vary it with Kashi squares, Ryvita, Spelt Tortillas (also from TJ), corn chips, rice cakes or rice crackers etc so they get a variety of grains and not always wheat, and throw in some mini tomatoes for something fresh and colorful
* boiled eggs - make her a soft boiled egg for breakfast that she can dip her toast into and throw in a few extra and leave them a little longer till hard boiled. These keep in the fridge for atleast a few days.
* dried fruit - again a great selection at Trader Joes. My kids love the dried mango, peaches, prunes and raisins
* Do you know about Lara Bars? - only made from fruit and nuts. Not your typical granola bar
* Also check out manna bread, soft delicions sprouted bread - at New Seasons
* Trader Joes has a huge range of cooked sausages. The directions say to heat them, but you don't have to. Just slice and eat!
* Deli meats - I get them from New Seasons, freshly sliced and nitrate free. Still processed, still a long way from the farm, but better than stuff sitting on the shelf in plastic with extra preservatives to keep them company. My daughter loves a slice of bread with soft goat cheese, some avacado and a slice of turkey or ham on top.

So I don't think I have answered your question!
I get it that you may even not want to do this much. You want to open the cupboard and voila! M. too!!! BUT unfortunately, if it is this easy, it probably isn't really good food. If it's packaged, it's processed.
So boil a few eggs, have some good quality cooked deli meat and sausages in your fridge, some dips, some soft cheese for spreading, some hard cheese for chunks, avacados, mini tomatoes, cucmber, celery, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, a bowl full of fruit, some dried fruit, a variety of crackers, some bread or tortilla. Have lots of mini containers to put dips, nut butters etc into, just do a little chopping, putting in bags etc., and you will have a huge variety of snacks at your fingertips. You are setting a great example and before you know it, she will be in college, you will have no control over what she is eating and will be worrying that she is eating pizza every night. But if you set a good example now, she is more likely to follow suit. There are no short cuts to good eating, (though to M. the above are still short cuts!)
I recently read an article that said "if your great grandmother wouldn't recognise it as food, it probably isn't"

All the best
Helen

Open a can of beans (garbanzo, kidney, pinto, etc). Rinse and drain them, then put them in the fridge. When you're ready to go somewhere, put a quarter to a half a cup in a little container. This makes a very healthy snack and easy finger food. Also inexpensive and can be purchased organic.

You can do the same with cheese- cube up a bunch at the beginning of the week. Protein and dairy in one swoop.

In fact, sounds like you've just grown weary of the daily prep- try just doing it all at once at the beginning of the week so you're not having to wash, peel, cut, etc. every day.

J.

How about snap peas? I think that Trader Joe's has those pre-washed...and I think that they are organic too. Also, string cheeze, how about trail mix? Also, blueberries are a great one. Good luck!

If she has access to a microwave dim-sum is great and freezable. microwave these for about 20 seconds. I make a bunch and freeze them in 3 packs for grab and go. I also use dinner leftovers for the filling and bisquit dough is the easiest. Steam them for about 10 mins.
Fresh spring rolls are great too instead of deep-fried. Some Wasabi dressing makes them really yummy! They are not quite grab and go but eating the leftovers will not be unplesant.
A bento box may help you pack things the night before so you can just hall it out in the morning. I use dinner leftovers alot and couscous with whatever as my kids have access to a hotwater tap.

Target's Archer farms brand makes yummy organic fruit bars, among other things.

How about celery & peanut butter with a raisin or two (ants on a log)
Left over pancakes with peanut butter & a tad of honey, then roll it up. (roll ups)
carrots with yogurt dip(like ranch)or you can buy ranch dressing and baby carrots at trader joes.
If you are not a vegetarian then try lettuce lunch meat(good quality) roll ups. You can add avocado or other vegies. The lettuce is the outside.
apple slices with some nut butter on it.
Oh how about health jerky (just cut it in smaller pieces)
hummus & mini pitas
Hard boiled egg
string cheese with vegie sticks
Try preparing the night before.

My kids love craisins and nuts, or a trail mix with just a few chocolate chips in it. or yougurt covered raisins. Buy in bulk at your local store, and pre bag at the begining of the week. Any frozen fruit is fun for kids. My kids love frozen blue berries, strawberries, and rasberries.

I used to feed my kids "ant on a log". They loved it, and they could even help prepare it by putting on the "ants". This is it: celery with peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you want) and topped with raisins and/or dried cranberries. Easy to prepare, easy to pack in a plastic container, and fun to eat. No leftovers!! I love it myself, and what the kids didn't eat, I did. Have fun!

My kids like freeze-dried fruits and veggies. Costco sells a pack of freeze-dried apples and bananas/strawberries. Also there is Flat Earth. It looks like chips but they are made from rice and potato and flavored with fruit or veggies. Trader Joe's also has great healthy snacks for kids!

Recently, we started preparing a big batch of trail mix and stashing little ziploc bags of it everywhere. We make it ourselves so we know what goes into it. I like the trail mix because you know it won't melt and if you have leftovers, big deal...she'll eat it next time.

Have you considered cheese sticks? They come individually packaged, they're real cheese, and they're a lot of fun for kids too. Some brands are saltier than others, so it helps to look around a bit.

I like to buy the freeze dried fruit. You can get a box of individual bags (half apples, half banana/ strawberry mixed.) They don't have any added sugar or anything. You can get the from TJ too, but not in individual bags. I also like to by dried fruit from Costco like Blue berries and Gojee (SP) berries. The blue berries do have added sugar though, so we eat sparingly. My kids love the sugar snap peas as well and they stay fresh a long time in the fridge. Also the big container of organic grape tomatoes from Costco is a hit around here.

Them lunchables are easy.. They have all kinds from sandwhiches to turkey,cheese and crackers with a drink

There are pre-packaged organic baby carrots, of course. A good one is also Organic Edamame. That's a great source of protein, and good cold. It only takes a few minutes to cook them, then you can put them in the fridge in a container ready to grab and go. If you don't feel like dealing with the shells, they also make pre-shelled ones. My daughter is only 15 months, so doesn't eat as much as a 3 year old. But we get Earth's Best Organic Barley Teething Buicuits that are really good, even when you're an adult. ;) And the Organic ABC Cinnimon cookies are good, too. Of course we like Fruitbu Organic Smooshed fruit as well. Like a fruit roll-up but flat and organic (less sugar, too). Can she eat nuts? Cashew are easy to chew and have a lot of protein. And of course, other nuts as well...Other than the other fruits and veggies you're already doing, I can't think of anything else. :)

I have the same goals as far as feeding my family better. I got caught up in fruit roll ups and granola bars with way too much sugar. I have read the comments and they are all great ideas. (I even got some new ones, Edemame never heard of it) My big switch was no more fruit roll ups, only real fruit. I also found my daughter and I were not eating enough protein so I started buying South Beach Cereal Bars. Sounds crazy as they are diet bars but they are high in protien and low in sugar. Chocolate and Peanut butter were our favs. Good luck...H. H

LF string cheese, crackers, my kids love small boxes of raisins. Safeway has the new "O" Organic line of foods, and a lot of healthy choices besides just straight fruits and veggies.

My 3 year old daughter likes hummus and we also bring a hard boiled egg or two. I boil them earlier and keep them in the frig. Hope this helps.

Apple slices, either fresh or dehydrated. Other dried fruits like apricots or mango. Nuts, like almonds. Individually wrapped cheese slices (not American, but cheddar like Tillamook) or string cheese. Gogurt tubes, yogurt in a squeeze tube, put them in the freezer and then they can squeeze and eat. These are all finger foods. Apple slices are now found in the produce section at the grocers, all ready to go, in a single serving sealed package so they don't turn brown from oxidation.

My 3 year old loves 'Just Veggies' . They contain carrots, corn, peas, bell peppers, and tomatoes and nothing else. Just diced dried veggies. They come in 3 oz bags and don't need to be refrigerated. He especially likes the peas and corn, and tends to pick around the tomatoes and bell peppers (strange, since he loves raw bell peppers). I usually snack on the rest, so nothing is wasted. They're available at Fred Meyers, and probably other grocery stores. Good luck!

Do you have a Trader Joes? They have great individual ranch and carrot packets that we love. We do a lot of good granola bars, orange slices. I would suggest even just looking at your organic section in your grocery store :)

My son loves "wraps" made with tortillas, cream cheese and lunchmeat.

We also buy the Annie's Organic Macaroni and Cheese single serving packets. They make about 3/4 cup of Mac & Cheese.

How about baby carrots with some ranch dip or peanut butter & jelly sandwiches?

I use Veggie booty and sometime Larabars. The booty is a full serving of vegies and the Larabars are only dried fruit and nuts.

Hi Kari, Our kids like to eat AdvoCare Snack Bars (their favorite is Chocolate Nougat - like eating a candy bar but loaded with 11g of protein). My kids are 4 and just turned 6 and choose these over regular granola bars. If you are interested, here is a link to more info: https://www.advocare.com/07121777/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?i.... Good luck!

~M. Evans
____@____.com
www.advocare.com/07121777

First of all, how impressive! I wish we were so healthy! Your question gave M. an idea - what about shelled edemame? That's great to throw in a bag or tupperware. I am sure you have also seen the fruit leathers. Another fav is almonds and craisins. Yum.
You are an inspiration!

My 3 year old Loves edamame. Its fun for him to get the beans out of the pod, and hes getting protein too.

Frozen grapes! This was recently suggested to M. and I thought, weird. But my kids(2 & 4) love them, both red & green ones. They do freeze pretty solid, but it only takes a few minutes for them to thaw just a little bit. Easier to chew and they come across like a popsicle snack. My 4 year old also loves turkey tortilla wraps. Use a whole wheat tortilla and turkey to create a wrap. We also spread cream cheese on it as the condiment (but thats not very organic :-)

Have you thought about hummus? A big container costs about $5 at Costco, which is much cheaper than grocery stores. It doesn't come in prepackaged, snack snize as far as I know but you could put it in small tupperware. Carrots, other veggies, and crackers all work to dip in it. Hummus is a good source of protein.
Summer sausage isn't organic but you can find lower fat varieties and once again an excellent source of protein.
Sorry neither would keep long term unrefrigerated.

Hi Kari,

What great habits you are starting out with your little ones! Fantastic. One thing I do is get the veggie snack tray from costco and everything is ready to grab and pack. You could pack several bags and just grab and go. There's a great assortment in there. (Unless they do not like them raw...)

We have healthy snacks with my company - Melaleuca. My kids love them and most are ten grain and organic too! We have much more!

Please give M. a call or email M. if you are interested... they have other fantastic products that have changed my life (like non-toxic cleaning products, etc!) They have 90% absorbable vitamins too for kids and adults!

###-###-####
____@____.com

One of the things that I tell my postpartum moms is that they should prepare snacks all at once. So when you go into the kitchen to cut up that bell pepper cut up a couple and keep them in baggies in your fridge. That way all you have to do is grab and run.
We do peanut butter sandwiches, you can get organic peanut butter if you look. She should be old enough for non cooked broccoli.
There are also rice cakes (my kids love these) Cheese slices, hard boiled eggs, cereal in a baggy, carrots, and raisins. If you go to a health food store they have healthy options that you can buy.
Good luck

There is a great little prepared snack that Trader Joes sells in their refrigerated scetion. It is celery and peanut butter packages and carrot and ranch packages. Or maybe get a big bag of nuts/trail mix from Costco? That's all I got for ya! Good luck!

Do you have a Costco membership? If so go and check out their produce section. They have great individually bagged pre sliced organic apples. My 3 year old daughter LOVES them. Costco also has individual bags of baby carrots, I think they are organic too. The carrots are the best I've had, very sweet. They are a great snack with some hummus. Also at most grocery stores you can find pre packed celery sticks with a little container of peanut butter. My daughter loves these too. Another good snack is string cheese.

While I like fresh fruits and veggies, I have found that frozen peas and shelled edemame (both available organic) are super easy...My son eats them straight from the freezer from a small tupperware container (or if I throw them in the diaper bag, they defrost a little). Also, I make soynut butter/jelly sandwiches and cut them into four "sticks" which is easy to do (you can prep a couple one day and just take 2-3 sticks when you are leaving). Yogurt smoothies, there are organic varieties - when they come with a foil top, I pop a straw through the foil and it is pretty neat to eat. Hummus is great in lunches (serves with crackers, pita bread or chips, veggies...)Dried fruit is always something that my son likes - SunMaid has a package called fruit bits that is pre-cut (tiny) variety of fruits. You can also try fruit-kebobs or fruit leather (can make at home or buy one with only fruit).

ok - i was reading what you make for snacks and that is way too healthy for M.. I have 4 small children - 6 3 2 and 1 - We are on the go all the time so I have a plastic tote box in the van stocked with snacks and stuff. Juice boxes, whole grain goldfish crackers, cheerios, waffle shaped pretzels, Sun chips, etc...

>>The best "snack" cup for eating out of is a BigE Pak container from Eclipse Gum. The gum comes in a plastic cup with two pop top openings, a small one to shake out pieces or a larger one to reach in which is perfect for tiny hands. They sell for $2.99 in the check out line at Fred Meyer. I have on for each of my kids and give them their dry snacks in it while we are on the road.

>> other snacks for at home or prepacked for the day on a road trip.... turkey ham cubes, cheese cubes, thin apple slices, peanut butter, wheat thins.... I put these all on a plate and the kids make little cracker sandwiches with cheese and ham or apples and peanut butter on the wheat thins. they love it.

I also get the flat square waffle pretzels and put bananna slices and peanut butter on them. Or we use Nutella on occaision as well.

Generally, whenever I use peanut butter, I add sunflower seeds or ground flax meal. The kids dont know the difference and they get some extra protein or omega 3's

What about dehydrated or freeze dried fruit