Kid: "Mama? I'm hungry!"
Mama: "Well, what do you want?"
Kid: "I don't know. What is there?"
I'm sure that conversation plays out at least once a week in every household in America. And I'm sure every mother or father reacts the same way I do - sighs and tries not to beat their head against the kitchen cabinet.
Both my ex-husband and I are trying to not feed the kids a lot of junk food / processed food. Considering how limited my food budget is these days, I'm even more diligent about snacks - I want them healthy but also something that the kids will eat. Wasted food drives me insane!
Here is what I currently offer as "snacks" in my house:
- Fruit - Considering that I have two lean, mean, growing machines in my house, I'm not worried about them getting "too much" fruit. I try to have a few options in the house, even if it means a lot of the basics : apples, pears, and bananas.
- Vegetables- My friends consider my kids "strange" because they'll gladly eat raw cut vegetables, and if you add a little Ranch dressing on the side, you become their favoritest bestest friend in the world. ;-)
- Hard-Boiled Eggs - Best snack in the world - fat and protein all wrapped up in a portable container. And yes, my two even eat the yolks!
- Pepperoni - My daughter LOVES this stuff and in the last month or so she finally talked her brother into trying it...and he loves it too! Though I'm sure it's not really Paleo, it's protein and it's on the cheap side (I buy the monster bags at Smart and Final for around $10 and freeze it in 1 lb increments for later use).
- Nuts/Raisins - My son has been on a raisins kick for the last couple of months, but just recently has he been requesting "nuts and raisins" for his afternoon snack. Though I've sworn off nuts, I do have some trail mix left over, so I mix them with a handful of raisins. That makes him one happy kid.
- Homemade Gluten-Free Baked Goods - I try not to eat these - they start up my sugar cravings - but I do periodically make some for my kids, which they enjoy while they last. These aren't Paleo but I don't mind my kids eating a little oatmeal or almond flour now and again. It's a heck of a lot better than the prepackaged stuff that's out there!
I'm mean, I make the choices for my toddler, she doesn't get a say yet. Ha.
ReplyDeleteWe do fruit, high fiber crackers, cheese, cottage cheese salad and greek yogurt.
I also do a lot of 'you can eat after your nap' to the whines of 'I'm huuuuuuuungry'.
Oh I also say things like "you can have an apple or a salad, which do you want." She often picks salad.
M
My baby boy is only 10 months old so we haven't reached this stage yet but I do think about this a lot. I want to offer him good choices and just hope he will not be a super picky eater. Right now I think that fruit, veggies w/ dip, nuts, and raw cheese will be the things I offer him. I don't intend to shelter him from grains but I will not make them the cornerstone of his daily diet.
ReplyDelete@ kicking carbs - Gee, I completely forgot about dairy! Since my daughter and I are lactose intolerant, I don't carry dairy products in my house, but yes, yogurt and cheese are great snacks for kids.
ReplyDelete@ Laydj2011 - I'm the same way as you. Though I'm grain-free, my kids aren't...though I'm sure their intake is a LOT less than most kids since I don't buy crackers, cookies, and goodies. They get a sandwich for lunch every day to make my life easier and doesn't seem to bother my daughter's tummy. BUT I know they get a lot more at their father's house every weekend.
Thanks for the comments!