Healthy, portable snacks?

[Sarah1]

Other than Cheerios, Goldfish, and my latest (and favorite), Earth's Best cereal bars, what are some other easy (and somewhat healthy) snacks I could pack for her (that don't need refrigeration, aren't too messy, etc)?

[Hallie_D]

Veggie Booty and Pirate's Booty are favorites in our house--they are a puffed corn/rice blend with either veggies (kale being predominant) or cheese. I think they also have a sweet version. Relatively healthy and (IMO) totally addictive!

HTH,

[brubeck]

Raisins and other dried fruit are the favourites around here. Many of the Gerber Graduates snacks (veggie crackers, vanilla cereal squares, etc.) are also surprisingly healthy (if you look at the vitamins on the side of the box).

[Karenn]

We'll often pack rice cakes. Colin loves the Gerber veggie crackers too.

[1sweetpea]

Here's what I pack:

- Quaker Oatmeal and Fruit Bites (also comes in bars)
- Yogurt covered raisins
- Pretzel goldfish
- Honey Maid Grahm Sticks
- Mini Teddy Grahms
- Whole wheat crackers
- Rice cakes
- Bananas
- Apples, Pears, Oranges



Alison
ds 8/7/02

[sugarsnappea]

I don't know if you have a Costco in your area... But, our Costco carries a sunmaid variety pack. It contains small boxes of raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots and dried cherries/golden raisins. DD loves these treats! :)

[Sarah1]

DD loves veggie booty! It IS a great snack, but I hate how it makes her fingers and face all green....

[Sarah1]

I would love to try some of those dried fruits you guys mentioned (esp the variety pack from Costco!). I have to ask, what kind of effect does it have on their bowel movements? (sorry, but I am curious....)

[Hallie_D]

LOL--I know! DS will always hold up his hands to show me how green they are and we have a good giggle.

[sugarsnappea]

Hmmmm. I never noticed anything different, JG has always been big on fruit (dried and fresh). :)

[lisams]

We also just discovered the cereal bars and love them (plus it's easy to just throw one in the bag and go). Earth's Best also has Crunchin' Blocks. They are a god size and seem pretty healthy. DD loves the banana ones. Here's a link http://www.earthsbest.com/products/tots_crunchinblocks.php

Lisa

[luvbeinmama]

My kids really like the dried cranberries (better than raisins any day!). Pretzels & fruit leathers are popular, too.

[cdlamis]

It seems like a lot of you recommend raisins. I thought that was a no-no until after 3? I thought I read somewhere that it is a chokable food. I really am not trying to point fingers- maybe I am wrong but I am just asking for me. If it's ok for toddlers, i would be happy since I love raisins and its a quick and easy snack.
Any info?

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b35d0802848f *December pictures

[Karenn]

I have heard that raisins can be a choking hazard, but that if you cut them in half, the hazard is minimized. The reason that I heard (I think I heard this from the instructor at our Todder Class, but I might have read it here) is that the raisins can "swell" back up to grape size and block the airway. Apparently, if you cut it in half, that doesn't happen.

[brubeck]

I didn't give my daughter rasins until she was 3 because I heard the same choking hazard warning. However cutting them in half is an interesting idea!

[alleyoop]

We also snack on Rice Chex and lately he really likes my cereal, Cracklin Oat Bran (affectionately called "colon blow" in my house). I don't let him have too much, for obvious reasons. I just can't wait till he asks for "colon blow" when we are out and about! :)

[August Mom]

I also have read to avoid raisins because they are bad for the teeth. They fall in that category of sticky foods (like gummy candies) that stick to a little one's teeth, are difficult to brush off and could lead to cavities.

[August Mom]

By far, Justin's favorite snack is the Honey Maid Graham sticks. These are quite tasty, I must admit. We also like the Quaker Oat 'n Cereal bites. And, if you are doing a day trip, I think string cheese is fine without refrigeration. I wouldn't leave it in the diaper bag forever, though. We used to eat Kix cereal a lot when out and about, but Justin's moved on.

[houseof3boys]

I have to laugh at this because I gave Ryan raisins a few days in a row (I tore them off in 4 little pieces since he is so small) and his poop had raisin confetti for a few days. I remember calling my husband at the office to tell him how funny it looked! LOL.

[riostoker]

I often make "trail mix" in a little baggie with a small handful of each cereal we have in the house (usually something like Cheerios, Kix, and Chex), raisins or other dried fruit, and goldfish, or maybe Teddy Grahams... whatever we happen to have on hand. The trail mix is sort of nice because she entertains herself by picking through it to eat whichever treat she happens to want right then. It is a good one for eating in the car because it keeps her busy!

Where do you guys find the "booty" snacks you mentioned... Pirate's Booty, etc? Are they at some place like Whole Foods? Or a regular grocery store?

ann

[August Mom]

I have found Pirate's Booty and Veggie Booty at regular grocery stores. (Meijer and Giant Eagle). I have not seen Fruity Booty.

[abigailsmom]

We also do the mix except we call it "Abigail Mix". We throw in a bit of everything and she loves it. My girlfriend buys her dd the big pretzel rods (?) made by Snyder's. This is what my little Miss has to choose from to snack on: apple chips, banana chips, craisins, dried cherries, raisins, chex, goldfish, pretzels (baked, low sodium), cherrios, goldfish, Oatmeal raisin crunch, Quaker Fruit & Oatmeal bites and Bars, Triscuits, whole wheat saltines, BAGEL CHIPS!!!! (THese are a huge hit!), baked tortilla chips, and other carious things that will not come to my sleep deprived mind. We have to keep a big rotation b/c once she gets tired of a snack it is usually a while before she likes it again.

We started buying low sodium stuff while I was pregnant and we generally buy low sodium versions of everthign that Abigail eats.

Wow this has gotten long winded, but I HTH!!