I hate grocery shopping. Honestly, I’d rather go to the dentist! To me, it’s like laundry- once it’s done, you have to do it all over again. My boys are 5 and almost 3, and already they eat my pantry dry. I hate to imagine what it will be like in 10 years…
The one thing that they are always wanting is, a snack. Well, the “snack” isle at the store is filled with fruit snacks, crackers, and packaged cookies. While I’m guilty of spending the 3 dollars for six packs of fruit snacks, I know that those are really “junk” and not a real “snack.” Thus enter my friend, Sara.
Sara and I became friends back in these days;
Now we have our degrees and are venturing this world of Mommy-hood together. Sara is a registered dietician and nutrition consultant, and a mom of 2. I called her in to help me with my “Mom, I’m hungry for a snack dilemma.” Thanks, Sara!!
Healthy snacks and budget friendly snacks!
I’m a busy mom, so I get it, we barely have time to make a list let alone get things done on the list. However, the dietitian in me says providing healthy snacks for my kids must be on the list and up towards the top! One of society’s biggest shortfalls when it comes to healthy habits is just not making them a priority. So with time and budgets in mind I hope to provide a few HEALTHY snacks for at home and on the go.
1. 
Mr. Grinch Smoothie…or Shamrock or Packers. The secret ingredient…SPINACH!
You can freeze any smoothie in these super cool ice pop makes for a frozen surprise. Perfect for packing in your child’s lunch so they are semi-thawed by lunchtime.
Ice Pop Makers: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-431-4-Piece-Silicone-Maker/dp/B0036B9KHO
For more smoothie ideas go here: Smoothie Guide
2. 
No Bake Nut Butter Power Bars. No bake=no problem! These can be a little sticky so if you plan to take on the go try freezing individual portions wrapped in plastic wrap to help reduce mess.
3.
Clean Energy Bars. Another great “bar” recipe. Making your own granola bars is s budget friendly way to get high quality granola bars.
4.
Peanut Butter Energy Bars. This is just a twist on an old favorite. With a few modifications we have upped the protein with peanuts and fiber with whole grains.
I hope you have gained some fun and new ideas to “treat” your kids! Have a happy and healthy day! – Sara
You can find Sara at http://www.sarabconsulting.com. She has an awesome food blog, and provides a lot of services from Sports Nutrition to Clean Kitchen Makeover.
PreachTeach: Blog by Erica 
Love these recipes and ideas!
One thing that helped us prioritize healthy snacks in our house is controlling what is readily available. We have a snack drawer – but it is a limited drawer. (Typically reserved for bedtime snacks for us). It contains all those things – crackers and cheese, single serving chips, chocolate granola bars, fruit roll-ups, anything that I have purchased that is maybe not as “bad” as hostess cupcakes but not as “good” as a fruit or veggie.
Then I also have a huge bowl that sits on the table in the kitchen and in it are any time snacks. The kids don’t have to ask me for anything out of this bowl. In it is an endless supply of apples, oranges/clementines, and bananas. As grapes are coming down in price I’ve started adding them to the mix. You get the idea. For my youngest and those without much teeth b/c we are so that stage!! – I slice an apple for him to eat – but I slice it like a piece of bread, thin slices. My girls love to just eat an apple and you’d be amazed how much of an apple they can eat! Of course I keep size in mind so we don’t wait whole apples too. I’m the master of salvaging something half eaten or eating an apple myself just b/c I don’t want it go to to waste (good for me and them!) Also, funny how you will always know if your kids really want a snack or if they just want junk based on their response 🙂 When they ask me for a snack, I tell them, you can have an apple or orange or banana… sometimes they scarf it, other times, they choose to avoid a snack. Either way, its a win for us!
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That’s a really good idea- I like it. We tend to eat what we see, so that would really help us!! Thanks for sharing
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I hear the dilemma you’re having! With two at 9 months and 2.5 years it’s already happening! We do a lot of raw fruit. Thankfully my boys LOVE LOVE LOVE fruit and that’s what they often ask for for a snack. Berries are their favorites (Strawberries and blueberries mainly!)
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