On-the-go snacks for Parents and Kids

Some quick and easy (and nutritious!) snacks for on-the-go moms and kids!

I don’t know about you, but I’m an on-the-go Mom. I am visiting friends, grocery shopping, running errands, going for walks etc. almost everyday and my li’l guy is right along with me. Before we take off, I always make sure that we are well-equipped with yummy snacks. The worst thing is to be caught somewhere far away from home with a hungry, cranky toddler. Even worse is when you, as the Mom, are hungry too!

Most toddlers have small stomachs high energy requirements, therefore, they need to eat every two-three hours. The good news is, they are very intuitive eaters, so they will tell you (maybe not in words) when they are hungry and stop eating (or start spitting or throwing it) when they are full. The key is to always have healthy, interesting snacks on hand, even if you only think that you’ll be out for an hour, because an hour can so easily turn into two or three!

I usually have  a few snacks with my at all times, either packed in my car, in my purse or diaper bag. I try to have a good balance between carbohydrates (grains/starches or fruit) and protein (dairy or meats/alternatives). If you have perishables, make sure to pack a little cooler with an icepack for food safety.

Here are my top on-the-go snacks. I’d love to hear what yours are too so feel free to comment and share!

• Peanut butter and jam cracker sandwiches: slather natural peanut butter or almond butter and jam in between whole wheat crackers such as stoned wheat thins- yum!
• Cheese strings + length-wise cut grapes
• “Baby Gourmet” fruit/veggie pouches (SO convenient and yummy!) + yogurt
• Pita wedges and hummus
• Apple slices and cheese cubes
• Homemade muffin and milk
• “Shakers” organic milk beverages (by Baby Gourmet)
• Fruit and individual container of cottage cheese (or the fruit and cottage cheese individual containers)
• Toddler trail mix: cheerios, dried fruit like raisins or dried blueberries, carob or yogurt chips and chopped walnuts or slivered almonds (use granola in place of nuts or seeds if you toddler is not yet ready to eat nuts or is allergic)
• Graham crackers + cheese sandwich
• Peanut butter and banana roll-up: Spread peanut butter or other nut butter on a whole wheat wrap and wrap a banana. Once wrapped, cut into circular bite-size pieces or eat as is!
• Cooked tortellini noodles with a tomato sauce dip
• Homemade protein ball
• Yogurt and granola
• Leftover french toast strips (leftover french toast that you cut into strips) with yogurt as the dip
• Cucumber pieces, cheese cubes and crackers
• Chickpeas or peas (canned and rinsed, or roasted)
• Banana loaf + milk
• Homemade protein-rich granola bar 
• Mini tuna+ crackers
• Fruit and yogurt smoothie: Make ahead with yogurt, frozen fruit and milk and keep it in your freezer. Take it out right before you go and put in a cooler.

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