TF Toddler Snacks

[SarahEiley]

Hi there! I'm starting this thread so we can share ideas for Toddler snacks that are TF-approved, or at least close! I know I struggle with coming up with healthy snacks for my toddler when we're out of the house. At home it's easy to do dairy, veggies, egg yolks, smoothies, leftovers from dinner, etc... But when we're on the go, I never can figure out what to bring that doesn't need to be refridgerated. Mainstream toddler snacks include sugary "fruit" treats and lots of nutritionally void cereals. What are some things that have worked for you mamas??

Thanks!!

[Peek-a-boo]

:

[onebumatatime!]

I am interested too but have no real suggestions!

Tara

[morganeldi]

I am also very curious about this and can't wait to hear some suggestions. I have a REALLY REALLY picky eater so it makes this even more challenging.

This is not reaaaaally TF but these are the things I do for outings... and he'll only eat some of these things some of the time.. and some of these things might not be appropriate for younger toddlers.

Nut Butter balls -- any nut butter rolled with raisins, oats, raw honey, a little flour to make it stick, and you can hide a bit of veggies in this like carrots..

Cheese "crackers" -- any cheese you want cut into little pieces, stick them on parchement paper and nuke for about a minute. They turn out crispy like crackers. This is my DS's favorite thing.

Fried Polenta-- Well, that's the name I'm giving it. It's really popular in Panama where my dh is from, they call it tortilla.. It's cornmeal made into a paste and then fried like a pancake until crispy (I use CO) with salt (I use sea salt) and I make them really small for ds so they're like crackers. You can also melt cheese on top but that's not as nice for going out. THey do get a little soggy after a bit but my ds doesn't seem to mind.

Stonyfield farms yogurt tubes.... yeah, sugar...

Veggie Booty....

and then cut up fruits and veggies..

I also use a little cooler lunch bag thing to keep some of these things in..

[quietserena]

I just made a list and stuck it to the cupboard because some how DD kept ending up with candy. :

The things that would make handy on the go snacks:
* dried fruit and cheese cubes
* cut up veggies or fruit - cooked or raw (DD loves raw carrot matchsticks, and cooked corn, and sometimes peas, as well as potato cubes)
* nuts
* rice balls - I just cook rice (slightly mushy is better, imo), wait for it to cool enough to be handled and then make teeny toddler bitesize balls. I started this as onigiri but never could figure out what to put in them that'd make these picky people happy so it's plain rice and then I salt it lightly. To help make them, have a dish of cold water so you can wet your hands while you're rolling. I can't help but think that some sort of mold would make this easier, but I can't think of what. Maybe a white water bottle cap with the top cut off? A really deep spoon? No idea. You can roll them in sesame seeds too but that gets messy in the car.

Ok those were my 'portable' ones.

I've started to give DD a muffin tin with food, where each compartment has a different snack in it, but just a few bites. It's usually leftovers padded with a few of the above. Today she though it was great, and then fed over half of it to me. But she is sick so maybe that's why... I think this is going to become 'lunch'. I'm for the moment lining the tin with cupcake liners, but hope to eventually graduate to the silicone ones. The liners hide my ugly rusty muffin tin...

I feel like i shoudl add that the idea of a 'snack' really doesn't sit that well with me. When we're at home, there is no 'snack time'.. there's just the meals. If she doesn't eat something at a meal, I've been known to keep her plate covered in the fridge and offer later, or move to a different dish and pad with stuff she likes. When we're out and about, we usually have dried fruit and cheese and then have a good meal when we get home. I'm not exactly an elaborate snack preparer...

[morganeldi]

We do the muffin tin thing too I found that idea somewhere here on MDC and my ds loves it. He only eats the things he likes though, never tries anything new :/

[SarahEiley]

Some great ideas already! There are soem otehr good posts on teh "arrowroot cookies" thread.

My ideas for today's snacks:

*packing an avocado, knife and spoon,and I'll just give her pieces...

*Toasted cinnamon raisin Ezekiel bread strips with Coconut Oil


Keep the ideas coming!!

[Rainbow2911]

Originally Posted by quietserena

* rice balls - I just cook rice (slightly mushy is better, imo), wait for it to cool enough to be handled and then make teeny toddler bitesize balls. I started this as onigiri but never could figure out what to put in them that'd make these picky people happy so it's plain rice and then I salt it lightly. To help make them, have a dish of cold water so you can wet your hands while you're rolling. I can't help but think that some sort of mold would make this easier, but I can't think of what. Maybe a white water bottle cap with the top cut off? A really deep spoon? No idea. You can roll them in sesame seeds too but that gets messy in the car.

These are very popular with my kids too. If I am feeling creative then I make special shapes with cookie cutter. I line them with plastic wrap and squidge in the rice and then pull the plastic off when I have taken them out. I also use tiny shaped hole punches to make little decorations for them with nori which the kids love. But usually I just make plain ones (with maybe some cheese inside or some ketchup stirred through) in blobby shapes!

Yogurt dough and arrowroot crackers are great and keep the little guy amused for ages if I make them really small.

Dried fruit of any description. Currently he is having cranberries, raisins, dates and apricots with the bigger fruits cut up into raisin sized pieces. I do try and limit this due to the sugar but it is a fail safe way to keep ds2 busy for half an hour if I need to.

Love the polenta idea! Fried polenta is a favorite dinner but I never thought to make it as a snack, or to make it like pancakes! I usually make thick polenta and then let it cool in a buttered dish. Then turn it out and cut slices to be fried (in butter here but I bet CO is delicious).

[lindsayjean]

We do dried fruit, coconut flour pancakes (they save surprisingly well!) in chunks, yogurt with a spoon, cut up fruit... melon, blueberries, etc, and chunks of cheese. If your not out for long some stuff that needs to be refrigerated won't go bad... you could always pack it in an insulated lunch box. That is what the girl I babysit's mom does on Tuesdays when they come over (Hi Emily!).

Maybe we're just not out for long enough times that it's been a huge issue?