Choosing 'on the go' Toddler Snacks
Making the right 'on the go' snack choice for your toddler can be a difficult one. Sure, when you are at home it's easy to provide a nutritious snack but do I really want to let stella get crazy with a snack pack full of raspberries and banana in the back seat? NO! I really don't have the time to clean her version of a Van Gogh off the back seat. Sometimes you just need to grab something quick, fun and easy to eat while rushing out the door.
So began my journey. As you all know I'm already a health nut and could spend all day reading ingredients, so when I started shopping for diaper bag ready snacks (think baby mum mum or cheerios) I was SHOCKED at the inclusion and even the amount of refined sugar in prepared baby foods along with ingredients I couldn't even pronounce. I know some of you are all like "what the hell's the big deal with a little sugar?" and that's cool. But if you are reading my blog then I am pretty sure you also care about what you and your kids are eating. Now sugar isn't bad per se, it provides calories to keep these babies moving. Even breast milk is naturally sweet. There are a lot of healthy sugar options out there, whole fruits and vegetables being the best options.
Not all experts agree on how bad refined sugars are for kids when consumed in moderation. But I have had my own personal experience growing up with a sibling who was highly reactive to even the smallest amount of sugar from a young age and I got to see the affects first hand; hyperactivity, mood swings, attention problems. Needless to say we never had sugary drinks or snacks available. Dr. Sears has a great article about sugar in your kids diet: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/family-nutrition/sugar/harmful-effects-excess-sugar
Our choice as parents is to try to limit the amount of needless sugar in Stella's diet. That's not to say she will never experience the joy of ice cream or smores by the campfire. But we want to set her tastebuds up with good daily habits before we can't always monitor what she eats.
Moving past my frustration at these companies, I set out in search for alternatives that have natural sugar substitutes (or don't include it at all) and have simple ingredients I have in my own pantry. Boy, was I lucky!
Check out my stash which we replenish every few weeks (ya, we go out a lot!):
HappyFamily is like the gerber of the organic baby food world, they have a wide array of products meeting your needs from the introduction of solids to sending your kids off to school. Everything is organic, non-GMO, balanced and only includes what needs to be in there. Their recipes are creative, sneaking in vegetables in the most unlikely places, like their green happypuffs or the carrot rice cakes (two of my favorites) that only have fruit to slightly sweeten them.
The puff's look just like cheerios and are a perfect first finger food, the small size helps with fine motor skills.
The rice cakes are big enough for a healthy treat but small enough that the child can easily hold onto it. They dissolve really well and I've even caught myself snacking on them! We've eaten them all so I don't have a photo to show you.
We also love their pouches for 'on the go' meals.
Ella's Kitchen is another one we buy a lot of stuff from. Stella loves their Nibbly fingers and their teething cookies. Which are sweetened with fruit puree.
Plum Organics do include organic cane sugar in their rice teething cookies. We've still bought them because at the end of the day they are the only healthier alternative to baby mum mums. They've recently sold out to Campbell Soup co. So, I'm sure the quality will go down hill as their bottom line will take priority (remember Kashi?). For now, these are fine.
The most important thing to do, no matter what product you choose, is to read the labels on any prepared foods you buy your kids. Unfortunately you can't rely on food companies to always provide the most nutritious ingredients. They've got a bottom line just like any other business. And remember, just because it's organic doesn't make it healthy, I've encountered plenty of organic baby foods that include unnecessary sugar or ingredients.
If you find any other healthy prepared 'on the go' snacks I'd love to know!
