Nov. 4, 2006 - Snacks, snacks everywhere and not a bite to eat
I am on a quest for healthy snacks. Our snack arsenal seems to be stuck in a rut...Gogurts, granola bars, graham crackers, cheese sticks, peanut butter sandwiches...the usual stuff. Though we limit the snacks to one between each meal and one before bed, as the boys get older they are constantly hungry. I feel as if I'm dumping food into little bottomless pits.
I spent some time this morning scouring the internet in search of creative new snacking ideas. Then it hit me...why not ask the most creative group of ladies on the net? So - What is the favorite snack at your house? What have you found to really keep your energetic kids filled up between meals?
My littles love pitas. I take a whole wheat pita, cut it in half and spread peanut butter inside. Then I stuff it with sliced bananas, strawberries, apples...whatever kind of fruit we have. They love it. They also like baby carrots dipped in peanut butter. My son prefers to dip his in ketchup...strange, I know. But at least they're eating carrots! :-)
I struggle with this. My standby is carrot sticks with ranch dip, or just apples cut up. Yogurt, cheese sticks. Kiwi magazine had a great article with some recipes for healthy lunch ideas, and it included snacks. I am going to subscribe to it just because of that one article. It was in the very first issue, you can probably still find it.
good post idea.
Jenny in Ca
www.homeiswhereyoustartfrom.blogspot.com
We do a lot of fruits and veggies. Even canned ones. If the kids are hungry I'll dump some canned fruit or applesauce in a bowl for them, or tell them to grab an apple, pear or banana. They also like carrots and ranch dressing. Apples and cheese. Ants on a log. (Celery with peanut butter and raisens.) this tastes a lot better than it sounds. We do the peanut butter and Jelly toast and healthy cereal as snacks as well. Hope this helps
Tara
The main snack staple around here is popcorn. It's cheap, fairly healthy, and filling. We also do alot of homemade cookies(I use wheat flour and sucanut, and they don't even notice) We also do lots of veggies with dip, fresh fruit, cheese ball with whole grain crackers, and tortilla roll-ups. For the latter, I use 8 oz cream cheese, packet of ranch mix, and half a lb of crumbled, cooked bacon, mix in mixer and roll-up in a tortilla and cut into pinwheels. While not the healthiest of our snack choices, it is a favorite.
I am looking foward to hearing other responses. Always looking for fresh ideas!
My boys eat like there is a famine coming and they are trying to store up! We do popcorn a lot b/c it has a lot of fiber so it's pretty filling and it's healthy too. I buy the microwave kind that they make themselves, but I buy the healthier versions. Also, mine love all kinds of fruits and fruit has a good amt. of fiber too. Mine even eat a bowl of ceral for a snack. Mine like Raisin Bran and Honey bunches of oats and stuff like that so it fills them up more than a sugar ceral would. Bagels with cream cheese work well too. :)
I always try to have fresh fruit for the kids to snack on during the morning. If I have a bowl of grapes on the table they will eat them. I also slice apples and have peanut butter if they want to spread it on them. They also like cheese and crackers. I bake a lot so they enjoy baked goods for an afternoon snack.
Have a great week!
Julie
Yes, we struggle with snacks here,too. We do the favorite (as listed previously) apples with peanut butter. Another favorite (here) is fruit with yogurt and granola. They like to mix their own, and it's good for them. Fruit, fiber, calcium...ssshhhhh!
is a fav around here. Bagged, washed baby carrrots dipped into spreadable cream cheese - I love it b/c they are getting some healthy protein too! Also, a really good peanut butter (called "Maranatha", it's organic and has no sugar but is VERY tasty as they use high quality nuts) spead onto a cut up apple quarters is VERY good - again protein with fruit keeps them going a bit longer than just a veggie or a fruit.
I don't know if you're still checking this older post, but I thought of it when we had lunch today.
Hard boiled eggs
Pita bread, cut in triangles, and served with Hummus (goes well with grapes)
Lunch Meat & Cheese Rolls (Bologna with American Cheese or Ham/Turkey with Provolone/Swiss)
Wraps, Spread cream cheese on Flatbread or Tortilla, Cover with thin sliced deli meats and cheeses, roll up and slice
Serve any of the above with a fruit or veggie and you have a very well-balanced snack, increase portion sizes and you've got lunch.
I wouldn't think that my kids would like these, but they really do.
The daily, sometimes hourly, musings of a homeschooling mom of four surviving on prayer, friendship and lots of Starbucks. Some days my cup runs over and some days it all spills out the cracks...and I wouldn't have it any other way.
