I asked you guys in January if there were any topics you guys wanted me to cover and I got some great ideas—thank you for that! I got asked several times if I could share the snacks we keep on hand and eat at home. I’m a big snacker—yes, I eat 3 meals a day, but I typically have at least an afternoon snack and sometimes a mid-morning snack too.
I try to only keep healthy stuff on hand because I know if I stocked the pantry with chips and crackers that I’d sit around and eat them. I love salty stuff! I’ve adjusted my snack cabinet to be kid-friendly too and pretty much everything we snack on, Owen snacks on too!
Easy Snack Ideas:
Dried Mango
Have you guys tried dried mango? It’s our family’s obsession! I love fresh mango too, but dried mango is nature’s candy. We buy the 365 brand at Whole Foods, but any brand would work. Just make sure there’s no added sugar or anything weird. For Owen, I cut into small bites so he can chew it up. He’s got several molars, so if your toddler doesn’t, I’d wait! It’s chewy stuff.
It’s easy to keep on hand and is high in fiber and other vitamins!
Fresh Fruit
We always have lots of fresh fruit on hand! Apples, honeycrisp is my favorite, easy-peel tangerines, pre-cut melon, and berries are our favorites. I find that when things are cut and ready to eat in the fridge, we’re more likely to grab them.
I actually do eat an apple almost every day! I crave them. They’re crisp, tart and also high in fiber!
Homemade Fiber Bars
We happened across these on accident, but now I almost always have a batch in the fridge. It started because I was buying Owen these baby fiber oat bars at the store, but I was paying something like $6 for a box of 5 bars. I did some researching and tried my hand at making them at home and they turned out great! He loves them, and I usually send him to school with one because he’s picky and doesn’t always eat his lunch. I included the recipe below!
• 1 1/2 cups GF oats
• 1 cup dates, pulsed into a paste
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup almond butter, we love Justin’s
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp cinnamon
Pulse everything in a food processor until combined. Press into a parchment paper lined baking pan until you get to the desired thickness. Chill in the fridge then slice into bars. Store in the fridge!
Smoothies
We don’t do these everyday, but I love a good smoothie to get in my spirulina. I still can’t stand that stuff on it’s own, but I know how good it is for detoxing, so I really want to eat it on a regular basis! I usually do a banana, pitaya (dragon fruit) pack, and some frozen blueberries, mango and pineapple. I add a teaspoon of spirulina and coconut water and blend it up! Owen loves this smoothie as well, so I usually end up splitting it with him. Again, it’s high in fiber and is packed with nutrients and antioxidants from all the yummy stuff in there.
Okay, so you might be thinking, that’s a lot of fruit—isn’t that a lot of sugar? First off, I don’t eat all of these everyday. But, from everything I’ve learned, the sugar from fruit is not the same as cane sugar. It’s paired with other vital nutrients and vitamins, and our body runs off the glucose we get from sugar. So, it’s fuel! I’d like to say that I snack on raw veggies, but they don’t always sound good to me. As much as I love hummus at a restaurant, I strangely hate eating it at home!
I’d love to hear your snack recommendations too, as we could definitely stand to expand our list and branch out a bit more!
BTW, how to make a superfood smoothie, and healthy meal plans.
