As I sat at the kitchen table this morning with my cup of coffee and my spread of cookbooks and my lists, lists, lists, I had shoppers block. It's kind of like writer's block except it's when you are trying to plan meals for your family for the next two weeks and trying to put together some sort of a grocery list that doesn't break the bank, and you just can't think of anything new. It happens to me every time. I end up just cycling through the same old dinners over and over. My family loves me. Now this morning, it wasn't necessarily the meals I was having a hard time with, but the snacks.
My kids are professional snackers. Jack especially. He doesn't even bother waiting until I have the table cleared from the meal we just finished, he's already on to "what's for a snack?" I have realized the past few weeks that the kid is surviving solely on carbs and sugar. It's really pretty pathetic. I don't want to cut him completely off from snacks, I believe in them. I too can snack like no body's business. It's just that I would like to have some more healthy choices around here. And that's where you all come in. Help me! I know you are full of ideas. Here is a list of some of the things we are doing now, both the healthy and the unhealthy. If you can think of some other options for me, I would love you forever. You just might save Jack from a life of diabetes.
Present Laundry Pile snacking options:
- A small bowl or ziplock bag full of dry sugary cereal. This is the #1 hit around here, they love it. Their blood sugar levels do not.
- Cut up carrots, broccoli and celery with dip. Caedmon would eat this all day long if I would let him. Jack, not so much.
- Yogurt. I buy the big quart size, not the single servings, and still it doesn't last long.
- Fruit. We love bananas, apples, oranges and grapes. It's just that they only last a few days or so and then we are as doomed as Vasco da Gama's crew to suffer the scurvy.
- Crackers with cheese and meat.
- Secret stashes of dessert. Oh wait, that's only me. The kids know nothing about that.
Ok people. Don't let me down. Don't let Jack down. He doesn't need to take insulin shots at age three....yet. Give me you best, kid friendly snacks.
*Updated to add: I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. Thanks so much for all the great ideas. I think I am going to make a master list that I can refer to on grocery list day. Awesome.
18 comments:
josh has been really wanting to try the makers diet. so we did it, last night we went to the organic food store. so i have no ideas for you that don't break the pocket book!! ask me in 6 weeks what we think.. but noah loves hard boiled eggs, i think you either love or hate them. i keep them in the fridge after i boil a bunch. but they are really good for you, and trail mix from the bulk section. .. like i said check back with me in a few weeks and see if i have gone mad!
Ok...let's see :)
Dried fruit
Nuts
Tortilla chips (with no trans-fats) and hummus
Hard boiled eggs (good one Melanie!)
Frozen fruit (mangos are nice and soft even when frozen)
Smoothies made of mostly frozen fruit and ice and a little milk/milk-alternative,
String cheese
Low sugar muffins
Low sugar bars (check out the Easy Pleasin' Oat Bars on my food blog)
Cottage Cheese and Applesauce
Whole Wheat Pancakes (freeze a bunch ahead and then just toast them...cut up and dip in applesauce)
Whole wheat bread topped with melted cheese and shredded apple
Ants on a log (celery, PB, raisins)
Fruit leather (not rollups)
Hope this helps!
Love ya.
How about banana chips? You can get unsugared varieties at some health food stores, or the regular kind. My toddler loves them and I feel better about feeding him fruit sugar than sugar cereals.
Another idea is a quesadilla. You could even use whole wheat tortillas, and you can add chopped tomato or salsa for added interest.
the top favs at our house are:
1. tortillas with cheddar rolled up and nuked for a few secs.
2. pretzels and cream cheese
3. fruit snacks, fruit rollups
4. grapes... we can't keep them for more than a day
5. string cheese
6. popcorn
I read a list recently that had these...
1. sushi rice roll with avacado
2. chicken drumstick
3. date scone
4. pita bread with sprouts
5. rice crackers
6. small can baked beans
I wonder what my kids would do if I served them those! HAHA!
Good Luck! It's like finding a needle in a sugar coated haystack!
Some of our regular snacks that keep the kids happy! I buy all of these types of things at Sams and it's much cheaper and we don't run out as quick.
1. Granola Bars
2. Animal Crackers
3. Cheeze It Crackers
4. Graham Crackers with Chocoate Frosting
5. Applesauce
6. Bananas (cut up and LIGHTLY sprinkled with sugar)
7. I make a HUGE batch of banana mini muffins and freeze them and put a dozen or so out at a time for a couple of days.
8. Pretzel Logs
9. Apples
10. The Jiffy Muffin mixes. I think they are like 40 cents and you can make a batch of mini muffins in 15 minutes.
11. Yogurt
12. Peanuts
13. Peanut Butter and Crackers
14. Summer Sausage and Chedder Cheese
15. Buttered Noodles
16. Snack Mix
17. Cereal Bars
18. Strawberrys dipped in cool whip
19. Cool old fashioned chocolate chip cookies ... make a double or triple batch and freeze some for when you need them.
20. Homemade Breads
21. Pudding (Again, the big box is like 60 cents and makes about 10 individual servings. Top with cool whip ... yummy!
I'm off to make some pudding ... that sounded REALLY good.
Have a great weekend! ;)
My kids love apples with a spoonful of peanut butter for dipping.
Graham crackers with cream cheese spread (trust me, it is good).
Raisins, and they put them in their yogurt when feeling adventurous.
Cheese cubes, crackers and a slice of lunch meat.
Popcorn (not healthy, but not terrible).
Clementines (they come in big bags and are so easy to peel and separate for the kids).
Nuts, if they will eat them.
I limit my kids to about two snacks a day. One in the morning, and one in the afternoon. So we don't have a lot of variety. And the healthier options are almost always more expensive. Good luck!
'Round here the favorite is a big slab of peanut butter on a spoon, eaten kind of like a popsicle.
Hi,
I will share a tip that I learned from a friend of mine. She was told by a nutritionist to take a mini muffin tin/pan and fill each cup with snacks and keep them in the fridge. That way you or your child know that one cup equals one portion. You can fill it with nuts, crackers, fruit, veggies, cheese, anything, but I thought it was a GREAT tip!
My kids love "peanut butter taquitos." Take a tortilla and spread peanut butter and honey on it, then roll it up into a taquito.
You can make your own fruit popsicles with pureed fruit and honey.
Whole wheat toast with honey.
ok!
we do yogurt covered raisins, yogurt covered pretzels, sunflower seeds, nuts, and cheese. anything sound good?
I love snacks that require almost no preparation or clean up time. Call me lazy, but with 4 little ones and one on the way - the easier the better.
1. Turkey pepperoni
2. Craisins
3. Home made trail mix: pretzels, raisins, cheese crackers
4. mini rice cakes - cheese flavored
5. mini whole wheat bagels with either peanut butter or melted cheese on them - very portable!
Did you say healthy? Gosh, I thought you wanted cheap, quick and clean snacks. (My favorite kind.) My first thought was poptarts, which aren't healthy or cheap. As others have mentioned, peanut butter with apple slices to dip, PBJ's with the crust cut off and cut into nice little squares. Applesauce or what about homemade pudding. (At least there is real milk in it.) I used to make up pudding and put it into individual servings-even if I had to use paper dixie cups.
Another favorite snack-rice krispy treats with all of the variations. (As if the sugary cereal wasn't sweet enough...our favorite is made with capn crunch peanut butter mixed with cocoa puffs or reese's pb cereal made into treats.)
Since cereal is already a staple, what about homemade chex mix?
Ramen is a cheap snack. My kids like to break it up before opening the package, pour it in a bowl, add seasoning and eat dry. (Wait, are you still wanting nutritious?)
Triscuit pizza is another favorite. Spread a bit of pizza sauce on triscuit crackers, sprinkle with cheese and microwave.
Homemade salsas (corn salsas, or broccoli are good veggie ones to make-then you don't feel so bad letting them have chips to dip.) Or what about a black bean dip?
Ok, I'm not very helpful-oh, and have you tried frozen grapes (they are great!) and frozen bananas (dipped in chocolate of course.)
sweet friend, I am NO help...SEND the LIST on over when you have it made hehehe...I too slack at snack...quesadillas with corn tortillas and cheese, nachos, mostly we ONLY snack on fresh fruit OR Orville Redenbachers caramel cakes...they are popcorn cakes (and gluten free) also Popcorn, chewy See' candy (that's my snack hehehe) How goes the baby storage these days hehehe...LOVE YA!!!!!!!!!!
String cheese and nuts are popular around here, and they are filling.
Heth, I'm in the same boat. A baggie of cereal is #1 here too. It's so easy to make, and virtually no clean-up (unless they spill their baggies which rarely happens). Cheese crackers/popcorn/chips or applesauce/peanut butter/yogurt anything are a disaster here, I find it everywhere unless I manage to get their hands and faces washed up before they bolt from the table. They are getting better about washing up, though. They also eat a lot of apples, but I have to make sure I wash them ahead of time. I was letting them wash their own and discovered they were drying them with the bathroom towel! Gross!!
We're like you, and trying to cut down on the carbs and sugar...but we do our best, huh. Here's what I have at the moment:
celery and peanut butter
snickerdoodles cookies w. milk
carrots and ranch dip
apples w. caramel dip
goldfish (generic brand dolphins)
ramen soup...the fav, w. crackers
popcorn...lots of it
a big tray of jello w. pears and pineapple (and whipped cream if they're good)
pretzels
quesadillas - simple tortillas, egg, cheese, ham heated on griddle 'til browned
refried beans and cheese on tortillas
FRITO PIE - in a bowl, fritoes, hot chili - hormel or wolf brand, mustard to taste, green onions (if they like), and grated cheddar cheese
ham lunchmeat wrapped around a pickle -- the BEST
mini muffins - poppy seed (we love Betty Crocker's - comes with a lemon glaze)
egg sandwich w. cheese
spinach leaves - not kidding, they love them
caesar salad - complete with all the trimmings - croutons, bacon bits.
Of course, hot cocoa takes the place of a snack w. my kids if they get the whipped cream or marshmallows on it.
Gosh, I'm hungry again
There are more, but I'm drawing a blank.
Ok, here's what my kiddos snack on. (Gabriel has a peanut allergy, so no nuts here!)If you're interested in any of the recipes for homemade stuff, let me know!
homemade granola
oranges
apples
applesauce
grapes
bananas
homemade graham crackers
cheese
homemade yogurt
vegetables and dip
cinnamon toast
bagels & cream cheese
hummus (with chips or veggies)
smoothies
homemade granola bars
This post is way "old" :) but thought I'd post about a snack my kids love. It is called "Honey Milk Balls". They consist of rolled oats, peanut butter, dried milk, honey, and a little maple syrup rolled in crushed graham crackers. I always at least double the batch (it makes a lot!) You make small balls and keep them in the fridge. They are high in protein, sweet and most importantly not too messy. You can also chop up chocolate chips and add them in the mix. If you are interested in a more exact recipe my e-mail is sgtandmrshub-at-gmail.com.
Totally love your blog- I have missed reading your posts. Since it no longer shuts my computer down upon immediate opening of your page, I can now read it again. Yay for me!
-Andrea
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