feel good in your tummy bedtime snacks?

[mamaduck]

Ok -- I nightweaned my 2 year old 2 weeks ago, and I've noticed our night goes more smoothly if he's had a filling, satisfying snack before bed. Lately we've been melting cheese on a soft pretzle and cutting it into bites for him. But it is prepared food -- expensive and probably not great for him. He does seem to enjoy that it is warm and filling and helps him relax. Anyone have any other ideas for him?

[peacepie]

close to bed my kids can have bananas, yogurt(or applesauce), or a bowl of cereal.
maybe oatmeal?(scince u indicated warm snacks!) or grain toast with cheese?
warm milk... tea...(i know liquids arent always best before bed, especially when toilet training!)
i too wonder about good sleeping snacks!
is there a theory on what they should and shouldn't eat close to bedtime?

[Dot.mom]

Dd eats cheese, veggie botty, Veggie chips and sticks, graham crackers with and without peanut butter, and milk. Fatty snacks (like cheese and peanut butter) seem ti stick with her better and we have less night nursing/waking. A friend's children enjoy and ritual peanut butter waffle every night before bed. Be careful about store peanut butter, though, it can have a lot of sugar in it.

[mamaduck]

wow! he eats pancakes with peanut butter every morning! I wonder if I should switch that to bedtime and give him something different for breakfast. Hmmm....

[Clarity]

buckwheat noodles, asian,are a big hit around here this week...

[LEmama]

My guys usually have yogurt, cereal & rice/soy milk, or peanut butter/cream cheese on toast. Always atleast the milk - it's part of our bedtime ritual. A few times recently I have made them a smoothie with frozen strawberries & bananas, soy milk, and a bit of honey. A novelty - not something I'd get around to making every evening! I think it is good to choose a few acceptable snacks to offer - the same every night. The consistency and routine is comforting in itself.

[mamachiquita]

We used to do oatmeal cooked with banana, but lately it's been bread or crackers with peanut butter.

[rsps]

When I was in Jr. high and learning to cook, I used to make myself french toast at night. That was a good snack. Nowadays I eat it with applesauce instead of syrup, so it's a little healthier.

[kerc]

as a kid i always ate either part of a grilled cheese sandwich, a bunch of cheese and crackers or ice cream (if it was a treat night)

[13moons]

I notice most people list cheese, peanut butter, milk--it's the protein. That's what I have read is recommended before bed-always protein. I just wrote this on another thread too, and i can't remember the article, but the reasoning has to do with the fact that protein is filling and satisfying, but also leaves them ready for a good breakfast in the morning (as opposed to craving something sugary I think?) Anyway, it works-anyone know more about that?

[EnviroBecca]

Try heating canned pumpkin in microwave, seasoning with cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger and a little honey/sugar/syrup, and then putting a blob of plain or vanilla yogurt on the side. Kids can mix in the yogurt, alternate bites, or eat one and then the other, as they choose. Yummy and nutritious! Applesauce is good this way too but not as nutritious as pumpkin.

Another of my favorite late-night snacks is reheated leftover rice with a little butter and some norigomi furikake (seaweed and sesame seed sprinkles from the Asian store).

Warm milk (I buy powdered soymilk and mix w/boiling water) with vanilla or almond extract is soothing and filling, esp. with a graham cracker to dip in it.

[Greenfrogs]

Envirobecca,

Heated pumpkin and yogurt. Yum. What a great idea.

K

[13moons]

Rice is a good one-I've never had norigomi furikake but you can bet I'll be looking for it tomorrow!
The pumpkin and yogurt idea sounds delicious-my kids would go for that as dessert I'm sure!
Thanks for the new ideas!!

[NBrenda814]

one more idea

Ya know those grilled sandwich makers?? My mom bought me one for college and I still use it........instead of making a grilled cheese sandwich, put 2 pieces of bread in it- and some applesauce- and then grill it......its almost like a little hot apple pie. You can use whatever bread you have around........I love them!