alternative to crackers for a pacifying snack/activity for 16 month old?

[Snapdragon]

I have been giving my 16 month old crackers a ton lately. Especially in the car, it started because I still like to watch him closely while eating, but I felt slatine crackers are pretty safe for him to handle with his 9 teeth. So when he gets  agitated, in the car or sometimes other places, I sometimes offer crackers and he will happily eat them and chill out. But I have been doing it too much! Now I hear in his breathing today and different times that it is kind of stuffy- like from too much wheat/ gluten. So I want to pull back from how much crackers  offer him! The pacifier used to work fine for the same pacifying thing, but now he mostly uses that while going to sleep or if he is upset- but he prefers to munch on something for the car or other similar things. So what are some non wheat, not mucus forming light easy to eat and chew himself types of things I can give him in place of crackers? I don't only mean for the car, and I don't mean only for nutritional snacking- he eats a good variety of foods generally. I mean for when he is fussy or bored in the car or in some way needs to munch on something. I still like to monitor his eating as he is not perfected eating on his own perfectly yet. So I am looking for things that are easy for a 16 month old to handle.

[JBaxter]

http://www.amazon.com/Brothers-ALL-Natural-Variety-Crisps-Strawberry-Banana/dp/B001942GAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312578352&sr=8-1

Fruit crisps ROCK.  Our favorites are the strawberry/banana mix and the pear.   I have seen them at walmart and costco also.  2 fruit servings in each package.  Not anymore messy than crackers.

[mrscookie]

There's lots of crackers made from brown rice, some of them have no salt added too. I get these for my son. 

[crunchy_mommy]

Freeze-dried fruit

Any kind of cereal -- like corn puffs or whatever gluten-free thing you can find

Veggie sticks (they have some that are dehydrated whole veggies, and others that are more like potato chip texture kind of)

Yuca crackers (Explorer’s Bounty Tribal Stone Crackers are sooo yummy)

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by mrscookie 

There's lots of crackers made from brown rice, some of them have no salt added too. I get these for my son. 

..or spelt. Not sure about where you live, but around here spelt crackers with nothing added (sweetener or salt I mean) are a big hit. I also give him plain rice cakes or ones flavored with only (dried) apple juice.

Check your local health food store for nothing-added crackers made from another grain (rice, spelt, etc..) besides wheat.

Good small, portable snacks I also carry and offer are very thin, peeled apple slices, cucumber sticks and little pieces of cheese. But admittedly the crackers are much handier and I give them to avert fussiness in the train, the car, etc. as well.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by P.J. 

..or spelt. Not sure about where you live, but around here spelt crackers with nothing added (sweetener or salt I mean) are a big hit.

Spelt does contain gluten, though, if that is a concern for OP.

[P.J.]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 



Spelt does contain gluten, though, if that is a concern for OP.

Oh yeah, I meant to add: I don't know about gluten content. But you can also get amaranth or oat crackers...but again, not sure the gluten content on any of those. There are also lots of products labeled 'gluten free' these days, so you can always go by that too...

[crunchy_mommy]

Amaranth is gluten-free. Oats have high levels of cross-contamination with gluten and a protein similar to gluten so many GF people can't tolerate them, though some can.

OH! You can also make your own crackers! Google "olive oil crackers" -- there are some good recipes, and you can substitute various grains. Homemade corn tortillas might be another option.

[Adaline'sMama]

DD (who is also 16 months old) eats the following non messy items for snack:

flax seed crackers
dried sea weed (but not a lot because it is full of salt, and thats why she loves it)
cereal
peanut butter squares (wheat bread with peanut butter cut into small squares)
cheese flips (cheese quesidillas that I make, refrigerate, and put into small bags to keep in my purse)
365 fruit bars
dehydrated fruit, especially apple rings.

[crunchy_mommy]

Another idea for you -- you could try those mesh feeders... Then you can put anything without worrying about choking (at least I assume that's how they work, I've never actually tried them!!)

[Snapdragon]

Thanks so much for all the ideas! More suggestions welcome if anyone has more. I think so far ds is okay with gluten in general, my concern is just the high concentration of it when I give him crackers on a regular basis.

[Adaline'sMama]

crunchy mommy, those mesh feeders are so hard to clean. SO hard to clean. We used ours for a week and I spent more time cleaning it than she did eating out of it. But they DO work great for ice cubes (and Ice cubes of liquids like breastmilk) for teething LOs.

[somegirl99]

We have possible gluten issues and I sometimes give DS roasted plantain chips (I brush the salt off first).  I buy them at Trader Joe's or at a local store called New Leaf (similar to Whole Foods).

[Dazedstella]

Be careful with the dehydrated/freeze-dried fruit in the car, we've had several choking episodes with various kinds, especially apples or peaches. Of course, I should offer the caveat that I have a food-crammer so we have had lots of choking episodes in general! But the apples/peaches tend to get slimy and stuck in the back of throat even when there is no cramming involved.

Cheese cut into small cubes? Strawberries/other fruit cut up really small? Pirates Booty (is that Gluten Free- I don't know?) is a HUGE hit, dissolves quickly in the mouth, is crunchy and fun to snack on

I don't have many suggestions for gluten-free we are seriously guilty of an intense amount of crackers/other less-than-healthy, wheat-based snack options in our house....

[ThreeTwoFive]

How about a book or small toy? Or singing together?  If the problem is really boredom I would be hesitant to solve it with food.  I don't like sticky car seats, though.  

[hildare]

you would not believe how easy it is to make crackers yourself.  we can do wheat ourselves, so i have never made these but i have had my eye on this recipe from mdc for a while-- http://mothering.com/recipes/brown-rice-crackers  if you do make them, please tell me how they are!

[MJB]

We love gluten in our house, but my toddler also loves kale chips which are really easy to make. She also eats a ton of cheese. 

[stephbrownthinks]

Snack foods that I usually keep in my purse are:

Freeze dried fruits (trader joes has a lot of choices)

Those baby food/pureed pouches like Ella's Naturals. target carrys a few kinds, and trader joes does as well (my husband also loves them as a quick pick me up:)

Raisins or dried cranberries

Cheese sticks or pieces (depending on how long we're going to be out of the house)

Grapes

Edamame

[JudiAU]

Cheerios, or the organic equiv. We like the version from Whole Foods. Wheat free. Low in sugar and salt.

Freeze dried fruit

Beans, simple canned ones in a little container, less messy than you think

LO would love to have Yogurt Melts more often but those are very special occasion.

Non-snack ideas, a pile of board books, handed back one by one

small pieces of nori (seaweed), among her favorite snacks

crackers that are lower in salt

[foreverinbluejeans]

I agree about giving food and choking issues. With babies and toddlers in the back seat you don't want to give them things to choke on. Just because a kid is stuffy doesn't mean they have gluten issues. It's normal for toddlers to get colds, they don't have immunity yet. I am concerned that most of the snacks mentioned have little food value or can harm teeth. Saltine crackers - no food value, high in salt, dry, easy to choke on.

I play the radio and CDs with my grandson. We live in the desert and he has water. If we didn't live in the desert I wouldn't do that. He sometimes spends 3 hours a day in the car if his father or I have to take his mom to work and pick her up. He has soft toys in the back seat he can reach.