A Mama + Pediatric PT's Favorite Healthy Snacks for the Whole Family
It has been a journey to say the least, in trying to find healthy snacks that my kids & I love that also keep our bellies full, while also not breaking the bank and not being super complicated or difficult to prepare. Man, I just realized I'm a really tough snack critic, ha!
This blog post was created through a paid partnership with Skout Organics.
Throughout my personal path to gut healing through functional medicine, I've learned that while some of the things we were eating were healthy, they also could contribute to blood sugar drops and increased hunger--or if you're in my family (myself included): HANGER (see also: hangry). But I feel like I've landed on a few options that consistently keep us full and our blood sugar regulated and thus, we are all much happier humans to be around :)
(see also: I do let my kids have "fun" snacks like gelato :) and that's how we discuss them. They're FUN, but they aren't what keeps our tummy full)
The first and absolute easiest snack on the go is our Skout Organics bars. Made with organic simple and plant-based ingredients I can actually pronounce, I feel so good about choosing this pre-packaged option over so many others. They're gluten, dairy, and soy-free with some nut-free options as well! The base of dates, combined with natural sweeteners like maple syrup + nuts or protein powder leave my kids feeling like they got dessert, without the sugar crash. Use code TMM for 20% off!
And I swear--I cannot be the only person whose family goes through bar boxes like water, so I love that I can order their 36-count variety pack to be delivered right to my door and not constantly be running to the store to replenish our supply! And the texture is for sure Mom-friendly, no crumbling or chocolate chips melting all over!
I'm excited that Skout has given us an exclusive 20% off discount code so you can try them for yourself! I recommend the Variety Box to get you started, but some of our personal favorites are Peanut Banana Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Hazelnut, and Mango Mayhem. Use code TMM for 20% off!
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Our next go-to snack is veggies + hummus. Now I know what you might be thinking--my kids NEVER eat raw vegetables. But hear me when I say, it's been a PROCESS! I've followed the advice of many feeding therapist in the online space and just continued to offer them and over the past year, it seems like it's clicking! Plus the protein in the hummus keeps their tummies more full (and let's be honest, some snacks they just use the veggie as a hummus spoon but that's OK! They're still getting some tastes of the veggies). But what's made the biggest impact is:
Allowing them to help me grocery shop/pull the produce off the shelves. Sure it's more convenient to have them contained in the cart, but some weeks they surprise me and pick new vegetables we've never tried or haven't eaten recently and it allows me to pivot my meal plan to meet them where they're comfortable exploring.
Allowing them to help me prep the veggies. We recently got these kid-safe knives and I kid you not--their veggie intake DOUBLED when they started cutting the vegetables and engaging with them on their own, in a no-pressure zone!
Learning about vegetables/fruits: Our kids learn a LOT about how food is grown at their nature play school, but we also read books at home about this process and what it means to be healthy. Some of our favorites are Secrets of the Vegetable Garden, Secrets of the Apple Tree, and Being Healthy
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We also love to do fruit + nuts. I used to just do the fruit, and then I realized we were all getting hangry like an hour later. So I started adding the nuts for a healthy protein + fat and it keeps our blood sugar levels normalized, as well as keeping our tummies fuller for longer periods. Some of our favorite nuts we eat are shelled pistachios, almond slivers, and pecans. I also let them help me cut & prepare the fruit and this always gives me at least 10 minutes of engaged play + healthy snacking. And pro tip: store your fruit or veggies in these glass jars. My kids have dropped these things a thousand times and they've not broken and it makes the fruit much more enticing to them (and keeps it fresh for longer). Plus, they love the independence of opening the fridge and pulling out their own fruit container.
Because I've recently learned just how important protein is to your overall health, we've also been munching a TON on these Chomps Sugar-Free meat sticks! We all love them! I typically get them at Trader Joe's, but you can also find them here where you'll receive 40% off your first order from Thrive Market!
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We also love to make smoothies! Another great activity for the kids to help me with in the kitchen!
Pro tip: Put a sheet pan with an edge on the counter under all your smoothie supplies. This ensures the counter stays clean (well, mostly) and all spills are contained.
To ensure we don't get a sugar crash from all the fruit in our smoothies, we add in a whole milk greek yogurt for protein, chia seeds for protein + healthy Omega-3's, and frozen avocado chunks for healthy fats, as well. Ambitious Kitchen has some of our favorite smoothie recipes, but our basic ingredients are: Frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, chia seeds, some sort of green or veggie (kale, spinach, cucumber, or carrots), a splash of water or coconut water, frozen avocado, and sometimes a sugar-free nut butter! And my absolute #1 cup recommendation are these stainless steel ones. They've got a handle + the straw can be easily cleaned or replaced if it gets gross! Trust me--we have tried a LOT of cups and this one takes the cake. We prep our smoothies in the Ninja, but I'm hoping to upgrade soon to a Vitamix. There's so many more I could mention, but these are our consistent go-to's. I always love to expand our repertoire, though, so please drop your faves below! Bonus points for links I can easily shop :)
