we all want to feed our kids the healthiest food possible, but we also don’t want to waste money buying or making things they won’t eat. With the way junk food is marketed towards kids these days, you need to get creative. Also, Organic packaged snacks can be very expensive. Here are some ideas of healthier snacks that my toddler will actually eat that won’t break the bank.
fruit
we try to buy organic, but don’t waste our money on the crazy expensive berries that are $7 a pint. We buy cheaper fruits like bananas and apples. I’ll buy things that are in season, like watermelon in the summer. I store the apples in the fridge so they last longer. My son loves dipping apples in peanut butter, or if I drizzle honey on his banana slices.
cheese
string cheese is a staple in our house. We buy it in bulk from Sam’s or Costco. Block cheese cut up into chunks with a better ingredient cracker is also a good option. You can get creative and make them their own fun charcuterie board.
veggies and hummus
my son has been loving veggies with organic red pepper hummus. He will eat baby Carrots, cucumbers, and the mini sweet peppers.
protein balls
I like to make easy protein balls that are only a few ingredients. I use rolled oats, Peanut butter, honey, protein powder, and chocolate chips.
meat sticks
at Sam’s club we buy mini meat sticks that my son likes some of the time. He goes through streaks with eating these, but they are also a good snack for my husband and I!
hard boiled eggs
my son is obsessed with boiled eggs! I just peel them for him and put some Redmond’s salt on it. He will eat multiple in one sitting. With having our own chickens, this makes for a great cheap and nutritious snack!
nuts
my son loves cashews! He will also eat peanuts, but does not like almonds. Just try different types of nuts with your child, and see what one they like best. I always buy these organic.
homemade treats
we all know that kids want sugary treats sometimes, and I’m one of those moms that’s all about balance. I won’t buy the junk with the dyes and chemicals, but i try to keep some homemade treats in the house that are mostly organic and better ingredients. For example I’ll make sourdough chocolate chip cookies to store in the freezer, banana bread, cinnamon rolls, etc. I am more comfortable with feeding those to my kids than the packaged junk from the store.
organic cereal
I know cereal isn’t the most nutritious food, but like I said, balance. I will only buy organic cereal because conventional has so many dyes, chemicals and GMOs. We get ours from thrive market or there are a couple okay ones at our local Meijer. My son’s favorite is panda puffs. In our house, a box of cereal can last months, and will sometimes go stale. We pair it with raw milk to up the nutritional value.
packaged snacks we buy
it’s nice to have a few packaged snacks on hand for when you’re in a pinch. My husband also takes them in his lunch. We usually have made good bars in our snack drawer, and sometimes “clean” protein bars. It’s not in our budget to get the high end protein bars. I’ll also buy the small packages of nuts from Costco. Simple mills makes some good snacks like sweet thins, pop mmms, and crackers. Once in a while I’ll buy boulder canyon or late July chips.
I hope this list I helpful to get you started on feeding your children healthier snacks without the horrible dyes and chemicals!