High calorie, high protein snack for picky kid

DS1 (6.5) started swim team about 1.5 months ago, and ever since he is insatiably hungry after swim practice. He's very distractible, so it's difficult for him to sit and eat a meal during the eat. He will eat a small meal before practice, but after he wolfs down the following: string cheese, yoghurt stick, applesauce cup, fruit, and a bag of pretzels (or another carby snack.). This is all while waiting for big sister to finish and in the car. When we get home, he's still hungry and will whine for food for the next 30+ min when he should be sleeping. We will give him a small dessert plus cheese and crackers. I feel like he must eat 50% of his calories after swim. (And he gets out of the pool at 7:30). He usually has yogurt and a multi grain waffle for breakfast, and he struggles to finish lunch at school because he'd rather socialize than eat.

Any ideas for snacks or food that's easy to eat on the go? He won't eat eggs, meat sticks, or nuts (including nut butters). He's so-so with granola bars (only the basic ones with chocolate chips.). I'm at a loss.

We like cubes or slices of hard cheeses (think cheddar, Dubliner from Costco) with whole grain crackers - I think the hard cheeses may have slightly more protein? For yogurt we always do Greek (much higher protein content). Check labels though because not everything labeled as "Greek" is really high-protein! Compare to Fage. Don't buy the 0% fat - you want some fat in there!

Granola mixed into yogurt is good and filling. What about a whole grain tortilla with cream cheese and shredded carrots inside? Or a bean and cheese burrito (refried beans, cheese) which tastes fine even when cold? What about protein bars (we don't do these so not sure of brands but I'm sure there are some good ones)?

Will he eat salami? My kids love salami and cheese on a cracker or sandwich or crostini or whatever! Would he eat deviled eggs? Or an "egg mcmuffin" (whole grain english muffin with egg and cheese)? Roasted chickpeas?

Good luck! Sounds very tough!

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Originally Posted by twowhat?

We like cubes or slices of hard cheeses (think cheddar, Dubliner from Costco) with whole grain crackers - I think the hard cheeses may have slightly more protein? For yogurt we always do Greek (much higher protein content). Check labels though because not everything labeled as "Greek" is really high-protein! Compare to Fage. Don't buy the 0% fat - you want some fat in there!

Granola mixed into yogurt is good and filling. What about a whole grain tortilla with cream cheese and shredded carrots inside? Or a bean and cheese burrito (refried beans, cheese) which tastes fine even when cold? What about protein bars (we don't do these so not sure of brands but I'm sure there are some good ones)?

Will he eat salami? My kids love salami and cheese on a cracker or sandwich or crostini or whatever! Would he eat deviled eggs? Or an "egg mcmuffin" (whole grain english muffin with egg and cheese)? Roasted chickpeas?

Good luck! Sounds very tough!

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Exactly what I would suggest. Also, when you get home and you don't want to feed him a real meal, but he's still hungry, how about a banana cut up in milk? A friend suggested it to me recently. It's a high sugar/carb snack, for sure, but it's easily digestible and not unhealthy at all, unlike granola bars. My kids LOVE it, and it's easy to prepare and eaten quickly. A banana is also a good choice for a snack before swimming.


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Turkey bologna is a hit here. Either rolled with cheese (Swiss or Muenster) or plain. We are getting to the point where we are doing more real food after school versus traditional snack food. Frozen pizza, TJs orange chicken, quesadillas or grilled cheese/tomato soup are common after school choices these days. I think you should consider doing dinner food after swim.

Cheese quesadillas travel well and will hold good fillings. We have had good luck with meals like rice/chicken/veggies+cheese on top, chili, or pasta dishes (mac+cheese, pestso noodles, etc) traveling in a large thermos. Swimming makes my kids ravenous and cold, so having a hot meal available was a must.

Thanks for the suggestions. I think part of his problem is that he refuses to eat much during the day because he'd rather play, and then after swim, his body realizes how hungry he is and he's ravenous. I will try bringing a thermos with warm food for him. He has about 20 min to wait until his big sister is done swimming, then a 10 min car ride home.


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ham and cheese
turkey and cheese
cheese and crackers
greek yogurt is awesome (agree with pp Fage is awesome)

It sounds like you've gotten some awesome suggestions. I'd try to use the hunger in my favor and see if he'd be more open to trying foods he might not otherwise try during that time. Maybe he'd be more open to a meat stick or nuts at that time.

That's a lot of sugar and carbs and not much fat or protein. The yogurt sticks are high in sugar and low in fat. Cheese sticks are usually low fat too. If he's only eating carbs at breakfast and carbs after swim followed by dessert and carbs at home, he's not getting the fat and protein he needs. I'd bring him an actual dinner to eat in the car, something high in fat and protein. Making your own yogurt with full fat Greek (my kids prefer Trader Joes) will be better than the flavored sticks. Make a really packed smoothie with full fat Greek, coconut oil, maybe sneak in some nut butter or protein powder?

Will he eat oatmeal? It works great in a thermos and you can mix a lot of extras into it.

Lots of great ideas already. Will he eat edamame? Garbanzo beans or kidney beans that you lightly salt?

It sounds like he's hungry enough to eat a full solid meal, and instead is eating lots of little snacks. How about bringing a sandwich or a wrap along with you? Filled with whatever healthy proteins he might enjoy. Or any other easily portable dinner. Think meal, not snacks.


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Originally Posted by happymom

It sounds like he's hungry enough to eat a full solid meal, and instead is eating lots of little snacks. How about bringing a sandwich or a wrap along with you? Filled with whatever healthy proteins he might enjoy. Or any other easily portable dinner. Think meal, not snacks.


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I was thinking the same thing. I'd be packing dinner.

Why not pack him dinner instead of all the snacks? My DD does a dance class from 7-8pm. She has a snack before going but I pack dinner that she eats after class because I do a fitness dance class there from 8-9pm. We usually use a food jar and pack her portion of dinner, like pasta or lentils with rice. This week she had Swedish meatballs in the food jar and packed herself some raw sugar snap peas, grapes, and string cheese to go with them.

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Originally Posted by BunnyBee

That's a lot of sugar and carbs and not much fat or protein. The yogurt sticks are high in sugar and low in fat. Cheese sticks are usually low fat too. If he's only eating carbs at breakfast and carbs after swim followed by dessert and carbs at home, he's not getting the fat and protein he needs. I'd bring him an actual dinner to eat in the car, something high in fat and protein.

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I totally agree. If it were my starving DD, I'd give her a hunk of protein and no carbs: sliced up grilled chicken breast (no bun) or turkey burger patty (no bun). or a can of beans. ETA: maybe cottage cheese.

For breakfast or snack, I often make baked oatmeal that my dd devours. it's healthier than store-bought granola bars. I use applesauce instead of butter and add flax meal. they are very portable!

Will he eat a wrap? Hormel makes the high protein "rev wraps" that might help get something a little more substantial in his system. http://www.hormel.com/Brands/HormelRevWraps.aspx

It would be easy enough to make something like this yourself, too, rather than buying premade.

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Originally Posted by fauve01

I totally agree. If it were my starving DD, I'd give her a hunk of protein and no carbs: sliced up grilled chicken breast (no bun) or turkey burger patty (no bun). or a can of beans. ETA: maybe cottage cheese.

For breakfast or snack, I often make baked oatmeal that my dd devours. it's healthier than store-bought granola bars. I use applesauce instead of butter and add flax meal. they are very portable!

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Kids, especially athletic ones, should have some carbs. I would include some complex carbs with the meal.

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Originally Posted by blisstwins

Kids, especially athletic ones, should have some carbs. I would include some complex carbs with the meal.

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yep I know. but the OPs kid had a lot of carbs already. that's what I wrote "if it were my starving dd" (who had had carbs all day), I would skip more carbs in favor of more filling protein.

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Originally Posted by fauve01

I totally agree. If it were my starving DD, I'd give her a hunk of protein and no carbs: sliced up grilled chicken breast (no bun) or turkey burger patty (no bun). or a can of beans. ETA: maybe cottage cheese.

For breakfast or snack, I often make baked oatmeal that my dd devours. it's healthier than store-bought granola bars. I use applesauce instead of butter and add flax meal. they are very portable!

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Would you mind sharing your recipe?


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Originally Posted by jgenie

Would you mind sharing your recipe?

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sure!

ETA: when I make them with chocolate chips, I only use 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ - ½ cup flax meal (optional)
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup melted butter (or ½ c. nonsweetened applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried berries (or ¼ c. mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, flax, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients:milk, eggs, melted butter or applesauce, and vanilla extract. Fold wet into dry ingredients.Stir in dried berries or chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13-inch oiled baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes. After they cool, cut into bars, and store in a covered container on the counter. Enjoy!

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-oatmeal-ii/detail.aspx

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Originally Posted by fauve01

sure!

ETA: when I make them with chocolate chips, I only use 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ - ½ cup flax meal (optional)
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup melted butter (or ½ c. nonsweetened applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried berries (or ¼ c. mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, flax, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients:milk, eggs, melted butter or applesauce, and vanilla extract. Fold wet into dry ingredients.Stir in dried berries or chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13-inch oiled baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-oatmeal-ii/detail.aspx

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Thanks!! These are on my list for this week!


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OP here. Packing a second dinner in a thermos helped. Since he was so hungry, he was very compliant about eating hotdog/chicken and veggies.

That's great!!!


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Do you just cut the baked oatmeal into bars? It sounds delicious. I've got a huge bag of quick cooking oats, and have no idea what to do with them. I wanted to make them portable, as opposed to a bowl of oatmeal. Will they work for this dish?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fauve01

sure!

ETA: when I make them with chocolate chips, I only use 1/4 cup of brown sugar.

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
¼ - ½ cup flax meal (optional)
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
½ cup melted butter (or ½ c. nonsweetened applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried berries (or ¼ c. mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, flax, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients:milk, eggs, melted butter or applesauce, and vanilla extract. Fold wet into dry ingredients.Stir in dried berries or chocolate chips. Spread into a 9x13-inch oiled baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-oatmeal-ii/detail.aspx

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How do you store this? Fridge? Covered pan on the counter?

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Originally Posted by jerigirl

How do you store this? Fridge? Covered pan on the counter?

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I guess you could keep them in the fridge, but I don't have enough room in there, so I keep them in a plastic container (with a lid) on my counter. They last about 5 days; if you have any left after that they get moldy. It is rare we have any left for that to happen!

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Originally Posted by solsister

Do you just cut the baked oatmeal into bars? It sounds delicious. I've got a huge bag of quick cooking oats, and have no idea what to do with them. I wanted to make them portable, as opposed to a bowl of oatmeal. Will they work for this dish?

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yes just cut them into bars. I will edit my original post!

I have never bought quick cooking oats, but I imagine they would turn out ok with them. give it a try and see since you already have them. :)