All of us in the house are snackers, but more importantly my babes are major snackers. As soon as we wake up and make our way downstairs for breakfast, I can barely step foot in the kitchen and Finn is scooting the step stool over to the pantry. He opens the door, scoots the stool up to the shelves and climbs up to the snack basket and pulls out whatever he can get his little hands on. Earlier this week we found him climbing the stairs with a spoon in one hand and the entire jar of peanut butter in the other. Sometimes he brings me cookies, nuts, packets of oatmeal or a box of macaroni and cheese and snack cup. He has definitely destroyed the organization of our pantry, but he’s also helped me clean it out and reorganize it.
There are several different types of things we like to keep on hand for snacking, but knowing how much they love it keeping healthy snacks on hand is a must. We don’t typically stock our pantry with potato chips or fruit snacks only because there are healthier choices and our kids would eat them in a day. We like to stock up on things that are usually multi-grain, high in protein and fiber, but we also keep several things we can grab and go for the car or trips to the park. Just because they’re healthier choices, doesn’t mean they have to be boring.
1. Nuts. Both Kensi and Finn loves snacking on all nuts. I always keep slivered almonds on hand because they’re smaller and easier for Finn to chew, but sometimes he loves to eat the whole nut because it’s what big sis does. To prevent them from becoming a major choking hazard I cut them in half and he’ll happily gobble them up. The babes also love to munch on peanuts and walnuts. Pairing them up with fruit , fresh or dried, is easy and always a winner.
2. Dark Chocolate Covered Bananas. This is an ultimate favorite because the chocolate of course! If I’m in the making/baking mood we’ll make these together as a fun activity in the morning and enjoy them in the afternoon. Slice up a banana and coat in melted dark chocolate. Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and pop them in the freezer. Lately Ive been keeping a box or two on hand in our freezer from Trader Joes {pictured above}.
3. Fruit. Now that it’s almost summer kensi is so excited to see watermelon back in the grocery stores. One of our favorite ways to enjoy it is on a popsicle stick for easy holding. Pairing it with a drizzle of honey or coconut is a game changer. This can be super messy, but oh so good! Other favorites include dark chocolate dipped strawberries and dipped orange slices. Along with mixed berry salad + whipped cream. We have blackberry and blueberry bushes growing in our yard and it doesn’t take long after they’re ripe for Kensi to go out with a bowl and pick every last one. I can’t wait to see how Finn reacts to the berries this year. Chances are they’ll never make it inside the house!
4. Yogurt Popsicles. These popsicles are awesome on warm days and the kids can even eat them for breakfast. Using a popsicle mold layer in your favorite greek yogurt, granola and fresh fruit. Pop them in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Plus the kids love helping put these together.
Other favorites for on the go include, cheese slices, multigrain crackers, yogurt covered raisins, peanut butter pretzels, KIND bars, 365 Fruit Strips, apple slices with nut butter, veggie sticks with tzatziki dip.
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