More Great Snacks

Wow. It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, and quite honestly, I missed it. It's a nice little outlet for all that extra time I have on my hands. Ha! Anyway, I'm keeping this one simple - easy snacks. We're into summer; it's 95 degrees here in Atlanta and we're at the pool almost every day. That means lots of calories burned and lots of calories that need to be replaced. Here are some of my favorite snacks for the pool for all three of my kids; 11-months- , 2-years- , and 8-years-old (not that the each child loves all of them, but I can usually find a few things to grab that will go down well):

Publix Veggie Chips (pictured)- Sold at Publix grocery stores, and definitely my favorite (maybe available at other grocery stores under their brand, as well), these thin-sliced chips are made from dehydrated veggies, including sweet potatoes, squash, taro, green beans (whole beans) and carrots, with canola oil (not my favorite oil, but we'll live) and sea salt. They're packaged by the store and located near the bulk nuts and dried fruits by the fresh veggie section of the store. Usually $3.50 / $3.75 for a 5.6 oz box (their dry, so they weight light). My 11-month-old loves these dehydrated vegetables (as do I) - my other two kids, not so much.

Veggie Sticks - Um, yum. No, they're not vegetables, they're potato flour, sunflower and safflower oil and the such, but they are darn good, and everyone loves these, even the picky toddler. Shaped like a slim French fry, there are a few companies that make these, including Snyders, under the Eatsmart label; Good Health, under the Veggie Stix label; even Trader Joe's has their own brand. All brands contain relatively the same ingredients, but some are gluten-free / dairy-free, and some are not (processed in a plant with other items), so if this is a concern for you, check the labels. Grab these at the grocery store under one label or another for $3.99 / $4.99 for a large bag.

Calbee Snapea Crisps - OK, don't think that the kids are getting their veggies because they're eating snap pea crisps, but they're better than a lot of other snacks. These things are literally snap peas fried and salted. They're really good. Sold in small bags of 3.3 oz, they retail for around $1.75 a bag.

Other ideas: jarred / pickled veggies and fresh fruits are great travel options, as are string cheese and other individually-wrapped cheese pieces. Also consider apples, bananas, grapes, black olives, marinated asparagus - sometimes we assume our kids won't like something, so we never offer it. Try everything, they'll surprise you! And don't forget other, stand-by travel basics - Cheerios, Honey Nut Chex (gluten-free), and dried fruit chips.

Please send me your ideas! There's so much I'm not considering and I ALWAYS need more ideas!