Snacks seem to be all the rage with the little people around my house. Pretzels, graham crackers, butter crackers, and the occasional handful of nuts. They are just so easy to shove in a bag and eat on the go, or at home, or pretty much anywhere. However, whatever they eat, I usually eat. Who has time to prepare different foods for everyone multiple times a day?
Over the past year of mothering 3 small children, I have found that for me, it is easier to feed my kids the rainbow of foods their bodies need if I prepare healthy snacks in advance. I usually set aside about half an hour during naps or while my husband is home to chop veggies/fruits, make dip, cut cheese, and toast nuts. I find that if the snacks are readily available, they will all get eaten.
Lovin’ her some healthy snacks!
Every week when I write my grocery list, I try to include at least one favorite thing on the list for each member of the family. Next I bust out the cutting board, Tupperware, plastic bags, and get to work. I chop fruits and veggies to a reasonable size for everyone. I grab a few cups of nuts out of the freezer and toss them in a pan to toast. Then, I chop the cheese, make the hubby’s smoothies and tuck it all away in the fridge.
(Every week my list varies a little depending on what is on sale and in season.)
SUMMER SNACK IDEAS
-Grapes, washed and pulled of the vine
-Strawberries, washed and chopped in half
-Apple
-Peaches
-Blueberries, washed in case my 2 year old sneaks in the fridge to grab a fist full
-Kiwi, peeled and diced
-Melon, diced into 1 inch cubes
-Peanut Butter – to serve with apples, bananas, and celery (we adore Whole Foods Freshly Ground Honey Roasted Peanut Butter)
-Celery, washed and chopped into 3 inch sticks
-Broccoli, chopped into “little trees”
-Cauliflower, chopped into “little trees”
-Sugar Snap Peas
-Baby Carrots or Carrot Sticks
-Hummus (recipe to come)
-Heart Healthy Smoothie (recipe to come)
-Yogurt Cups
-Cheese Cubes
-Homemade Popsicles (recipes to come) – I bought my popsicle molds here
-Toasted Nuts: Pecans, Almonds, Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews, Sunflower Seeds
Here’s to healthy and happy eating!
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