Snack Time

Snack Time

So am I that mom that curls her toes at the sight of her daughters helping themselves to munchkins and goldfish?  I am getting better!  Our girls have a handful of treats twice a week at school.  I can bring them cut up fruit if I want.  But in finding the balance in all of this I do not want our girls to be the only kids in the class eating a different snack.  And, of course, they love the snacks they get in school!  Play-date and party food makes our ladies giddy as well.  My friends all make fun of me when my daughters just sit and eat and don’t play.  I try to explain that they are eaters and even if it were something healthy on the table they would do the same thing.  But the sight of the Gilroy twins slamming munchkins and goldfish does make for some good comedy.  You should see their faces when they try to suck droplets out of a Capri Sun package!

They are almost 2 and I do what I can.  When we are not on play dates or at parties, I try my hardest to stick to the real stuff.  Here are some of the healthy snacks that we enjoy.

Healthy Snacks

• Fruit and vegetables.
• One of our favorites is sweet potatoes.  The girls love them so much they eat them cold!
• Vegetables and hummus, guacamole or a healthy dressing (healthy meaning the least amount of ingredients and additives in your dressing; low fat dressing is not a healthy option). 
• For younger kids, I would steam or boil the veggies for a few minutes so they are not too hard to eat.

• For bigger kids cut up a variety of fruits and vegetables and let them make their own salad.  It will make them feel like they had a choice too!
• Apples and peanut butter, almond butter or sun butter.
• Dried fruit and nuts.
• We enjoy dried apples and raisins.
• Nuts
• Go to the bulk bins with your kids and let them create a trail-mix.
• Fruit and vegetable smoothies.
• Popcorn on the stove!  (Olive oil in a pot, put the kernels in the pot, put the cover on - and instant snack; season to your liking).
• Pickles.
• Whole grain crackers and hummus.
• Sliced Banana with peanut or almond butter. 
• A small dish of last night’s leftovers.
• Rice cakes or rice crackers with a topping (hummus, almond butter, pureed or sliced fruit).
• Natural chips & salsa - add black beans for protein
• Drain, rinse and puree a can of black beans.  Add a half a jar of mild salsa, two tablespoons of pureed kale and you have one healthy dip! 
• Natural chips & guacamole.
• Homemade fruit juice popsicles.
• Organic yogurt / Greek strained.
• Granola (make sure you read the labels for the least amount of additives).
• A cup of oatmeal with fruit, nuts and honey.
• A few small pieces of cheese, some almonds and a piece of fruit.

Reminder! Don’t use any of the butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter) unless you have gotten the OK from your doctor.

Love deeply and snack mindfully,

Kim Gilroy