I always try to carry some food around in my purse, not only for myself, but for my toddler as well. I find that when I’m unprepared I don’t make the healthiest choices for us. Although no one’s perfect, I do prefer to give my daughter healthy snacks whenever possible.
For me, a good snack is one that is easily contained and has very little mess. I want it to be quick and easy because I don’t have a lot of time.
We love smoothies in this house! Catherine McCord, of Weelicious, has wonderful smoothie recipes. She even has a smoothie planner that you can print out, laminate, and have with you! Genius! I have always made smoothies for myself, even when I didn’t have a child, however I love how she’s introduced so many possibilities into my smoothie making. I now use hemp and flax seeds, kefir, and dates on the regular, all thanks to Catherine. I don’t tend to put chia seeds in smoothies that I give to my daughter, simply because they have a bunch of fiber...if you know what I mean. I don’t need my daughter pooping any more than she already does. However, if she does need assistance in that area, you better believe that I give her a chia filled smoothie. #themoreyouknow
I recently made my daughter a smoothie and packed it in her Squeasy Snacker. It has a removable no-spill lid that is perfect! I slipped in the insulated pouch in my ToteSavvy and it was still cold three hours later (because my toddler, naturally, refused the smoothie when I first offered it to her). Even though the smoothie has a no-spill lid, it doesn’t mean that my daughter won’t get any on her face. I love Neat Cheeks wipes to clean up after she’s finished!
I’m short on time, so I don’t tend to use specific proportions for my smoothies. I just eyeball them (I have been making smoothies for a long time, however). If I’m making a larger portion, I use my Vitamix. If I’m making a smaller smoothie just for my daughter, I will typically use my Nutribullet. If you check out the Weelicious Instagram account, Catherine is great at giving some tips for balancing out the ingredients to make the smoothies taste good. Make sure to watch her Instastories!
{How delicious does Catherine’s blood orange, strawberry, and beet smoothie look?}
I try to put greek yogurt in our smoothies so that they’re more filling, however it’s not a must. Here are a few of my favorites, loosely based off of Weelicious recipes:
- Plain greek yogurt, frozen loose leaf spinach, frozen mixed berries, hemp seeds, two dates, and milk
- Plain greek yogurt, an apple, cinnamon, vanilla, a small amount of raw oats, ice cubes, two dates, and unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- Carrots, frozen mango, hemp seeds, bee pollen, two dates, ice cubes, and milk
What I love about smoothies is that you can tweak them to fit nearly any palate or diet restriction. If you pay close attention to your ingredients, they are a filling and nutritious snack.
My newest healthy snack is adapted from Christina Lane’s naturally sweetened rice krispie treats, in order to make them more of an everyday snack. I first discovered Christina when I bought her book, Dessert for Two, a couple of years ago. She’s the queen of small batch cooking, and you should definitely check her out (and buy her books)!
{How delicious do Christina’s easter treats look?}
I made a few small changes to Christina’s recipe since my goal was to make these more of a regular snack and less of a special treat. First, I used half steel cut oats and half puffed brown rice cereal. Secondly, I omitted the gelatin, purely because I didn’t have it on hand. Christina said it was optional and she was completely right. The active time on this recipe is so little that you can make this recipe often.
Although I usually take these bars with me in a small tupperware or a plastic bag (ugh) I have recently been using Innobaby’s Packin’ Smart Stackables to carry around my daughter’s snacks. I had seen pictures of it before, but was hesitant to use it because the individual containers looked too small. I can assure you that it works great! I break up the treats and fit them inside. I love how you can separate the snacks and the stackables keep everything in one nice cohesive package. It’s clear, so you (and your child) can see exactly what’s inside.
The cooking instructions can be found on Christina’s site, and they are very clear and easy to follow. These are so good - you need to try them!
I love how both the smoothies and the healthy rice krispie treats are so portable and can easily be eaten on the go. What are some of your favorite snacks to pack inside your diaper bag?