Snack Life

Are the kids eating you out of house and home, during shelter-in-place? Yeah, me too. It's hard enough staying creative for b,l, and d but coming up with healthy snacks can be a challenge.

I grew up in the age of Combos, Snapple, and Lunchables {only the kids with nice moms got Lunchables. Squares of cheese AND a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, awesome?}

We are all trying our best to fill our kiddos with the good stuff. Here is a list of some of my favorite snacks to have on hand.

Full disclosure- I am in a love affair with my dehydrator. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but you would be surprised by what you can do with food, looking a little tired. A little EVOO, s+p and toss it in the dehydrator and forget about it. It is NOT useful when you are in a pinch. This is the one I use, and this an excellent starter for those who are unsure of how much they will use it.

Here are my top go-to's right now:

1. Veggie sticks: Carrot sticks, celery, snap peas, sugar peas, bell pepper slices with hummus or cashew nut butter {from Trader Joe's}. Side Note-Baby carrots are washed in a chlorine bleach solution to clean them. You have to decide what you are comfortable with, but in our home, we strive to eliminate as many chemicals as possible. My kids love the many colorful varieties of heirloom carrots, so I cut them myself.

2. Zego Bars: They test for over 400 pesticides and are the gold standard in the purity food movement! Use code Greenandwell15

3. Splendid Spoon: Plant-based smoothies, bowls, and wellness shots. Splendid Spoon is real food that tastes great. Get $25 off your first order by using this link.
4. Bare Sea Salt Beet Chips: This is one you can totally make. They are a great combination of lightly sweet and salty. This brand is made with only two ingredients: beets and sea salt; you can't beat that! {or make your own with this recipe!)

5. Sea Snax Roasted Seaweed: I love this brand because not only are they organic, but they use olive oil instead of canola. Nori is a good source of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc. Seaweed is a vegetarian source of DHA. They have sodium naturally, and most brands add more for flavor.

6. Biena Sea Salt Chickpea Snacks: Chickpeas, {also called garbanzo beans}, sea salt, and sunflower oil make this a better alternative to chips. Folate and protein are added benefits.

7. Once Upon A Farm Pouches: Every ingredient used is sustainably grown, certified USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and can be traced right back to the source. Their food is kept simple and doesn't contain preservatives, colors, concentrates, or added sugars. Fun Fact: Much of the fruits and veggies that are used in Once Upon A Farm comes from co-founder Jennifer Garner's family farm in OK. 

8. Figgy Pops: I mean, so many good things to say about this brand. Kids love sweet things; let's get real. The ingredients are real, and they don't skimp on last. These unbaked energy balls are a sweet treat for after school or a kid's lunch box.

9. Bare Apple Chips: Just apples. That's it. I should say that Trader Joe's has apple rings and banana chips that my kids love. We call them "sometimes food" because they could eat them all day long. This is another frequent dehydrator flyer.

10. Super Seedz Pumpkin Seeds: You don't have to wait until Halloween to enjoy these. Also, did you know that pumpkin seeds contain antioxidants like carotenoids and vitamin e? They can reduce inflammation and fight free radicals. They are linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers, and they are high in magnesium.

11. Chia Pod:  My goodness, how I love these. Chia pudding is fantastic. Chia seeds and pure coconut milk, blended with vanilla bean and a pinch of cinnamon. This simple combo is my favorite, but the company offers several lovely flavors. Chia helps to sustain energy, improve digestive and heart health. These power-packed seeds provide a lot of nutrition that modern diets really lack.

12. Rhythm Superfoods Kale Chips: Kale was the sexy green food for a minute, and if you ask me, it still is. Kale is still a nutrient beast.

 

Parents don't lose heart!

It takes many interactions with food before kids adjust to them. Recently, a dietician I met with told me 40-50 times.

We cannot possibly control everything that goes into our kid's mouths, but we are the ones who work hard for the money and buy the groceries.

When my kids are 18 they can make all the choices, but today, I am doing my best to fill them with as much colorful goodness as possible.

Feel adventurous? Try this kale chip recipe!

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