As any toddler mom knows, getting your kids to eat what you put in from of them is a challenge. Harrison is a great eater most of the time. Brooke eats well 50% of the time, but when she decides she's not going to eat something, forget about it. There are definitely nights that she goes to bed without eating any of her dinner and only drinking milk. She thankfully loves smoothies at least 374 times more than Harrison, so she gets lots of fruits and veggies first thing in the morning.
Getting them to eat fruits is never an issue, but finding ways to get enough veggies in their bellies is a challenge. They are getting better about eating raw veggies with hummus (which they love) or ranch as a snack, but often times that results in them putting more in their mouth than they can chew and then throwing up half chewed veggies. They also never want to sit still and would much prefer to snack as opposed to sitting down for a meal.
I am always on the lookout for healthy snacks for them, and especially things that travel well. We used to do berries as snack, but after cleaning mashed berry off of their car seats, and bottoms, we stopped doing berries in the car. We have found a good assortment of snacks that aren't messy and are easy to take on the go. Especially now that the kids are coming to work with me a couple days a week, food that travels is a must.
Eat Your Vegetables Chips - These are our favorite chips. We love the sea salt variety best. Brooke would eat an entire bag of these in one sitting if I let her. There's 1 serving of vegetables in an ounce. Definitely a snack win. We're able to get these at Kroger (Fred Meyer) for $2.50 a bag on sale.
Simply Balanced Dried Peas - Target's Simply Balance line is great. Our favorite part of this line is their freeze dried fruits and veggies. Peas, edamame, and corn are available veggie options.
Snappea Crisps - We can find these at Target and Kroger. These are another one that the kids will finish in one sitting. They're light and very addictive.
Veggie Gos - I discovered these at Earth Fare here in town, and saw them again at PCC in Seattle. H and B both love them. You can buy remnants on their website for much cheaper than the individually packaged leathers.
Kashi Warm Cinnamon Cereal - No fruits or veggies here, but I included this because it is consistently their favorite cereal and they love to snack on it.
Plum Mighty 4 Bars - These are a breakfast go to in our house. They're packed with loads of vitamins and minerals. They contain a high iron content which is a big concern in this house.
Clif Kid Z Fruit & Veggie Twists - These are a little expensive unless you can find them on sale. Kroger regularly has them on sale for somewhere between $2-$3 a box. Clif also makes a just fruit version, but we always go for the ones with veggies.
Happy Tot Pouches - I know, pouches right? Every mom know that pouches are easy and expensive. We used to do one a day when they were younger, but we don't have them too often anymore. When we do buy them, we buy HappyTot brand. They, along with Ella's Kitchen, have twice the iron content of Plum and Sprout pouches.
Obviously eating whole, fresh foods are the best, but sometimes prepackaged foods have to step in. The kids have continuously eaten all the foods listed, and I don't feel bad about letting them eat them. We are always looking for good snacks, and just food in general. What healthy snacks do your kids love?
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