Packing Your Snack Bag - Airport Edition

Spring break is here and like so many other parents of school-aged children, we're planning on hitting the runway with our tiny humans in tow. My mom and I are taking my two oldest girls to Chicago to the American Girl Doll Store - what a dream. And since Chicago is only a short plane ride away, I haven't been too concerned about packing our stuff quite yet. BUT what I have been thinking about is packing our plane snacks because any mom of young people knows SNACKS. ARE. KEY. So what's in my snack bag? Go on - take a peek.

Banana Muffins

A family favorite, I pack these muffins in bags of two - perfect for snack-size and they feel like a treat even though they're packed full of good stuff. I always pack extra for any breakfast or snack needs while we're gone.

Trail Mix

I love switching up what goes in our trail mix and we can pass some waiting time looking at the mix and talking about what all has made an appearance in this batch. Need some inspiration? Try my 5-Part Trail Mix for a crowd favorite.

Veggies & Dip

I like to pack individual cups or packets of hummus or peanut butter along with baby carrots, celery, and bell pepper slices. I often pack my own peanut butter for dipping because to my current knowledge, they don't make a peanut butter to go cup (they make packets but those aren't ideal for dipping) that doesn't have added sugar.

Apples & Grapes

Fresh fruit is awesome but I like to stick to fruits that aren't messy and have little to no clean-up. Dried fruit is also great for this reason - just watch out for any added sugar! No one needs a 4-year old with a sugar rush when you're in a tight, confined space.

Cheese Sticks

Cheese sticks are a great source of protein and are an excellent travel food because they can be eaten chilled or at room temperature.

Perfect Bars & Bites

A family favorite. Perfect bars have awesome whole food, high quality ingredients and are so convenient for on-the-go snacking. I love to bring the kid-sized snack bars and bites.

Crackers/Pretzels/Popcorn

This is where convenience kicks in - I like to buy a bulk-sized stock of individually bagged crunchy snacks for traveling and snacking on the go. There just isn't anything much more convenient. Some of our favorites include Harvest Snaps Snap Pea Crisps, Annie's Cheddar Bunnies, Snack Factory Pretzel Thins, Pirate's Booty, and Veggie Straws. I encourage my kids to eat a veggie, fruit, or protein along with their choice of crunchy snack.

Treats

My kids love their treats and traveling just seems to go better when I pull out some fun treats they don't get to have at our house all the time. Surf Sweets is one of my favorite brands for gummies and lollipops and the Simple Mills Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a crowd favorite. I also always throw in a couple Unreal chocolate snacks…mostly for myself, but I'll share to keep the peace :)

Happy traveling, friends!

10 Non-Meat Protein Ideas For Kids

Ever wonder if your kids are getting enough of a particular food group? All the time, right? When your toddler goes on a food strike and will eat nothing but strawberries, it’s hard not to be concerned about their intake. Below you’ll find a chart with the food group recommendations by age. It’s important to remember when looking at the chart that your child’s health and nutrition is cumulative. No kids (or adults for that matter) eat perfectly every day, but striving for variety, balance, and meeting daily requirements is a great place to start when it comes to teaching healthy habits in the long run.

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In my opinion (and based on concerns I heard over and over from former clients with kids of all ages), protein is by far the most tricky recommendation for a lot of kids. Toddlers are notorious for going through food jags and many kids are known for being picky when it comes to meat in particular. Don’t fret though - there are plenty of ways to get protein in without eating meat. Here are 10 non-meat protein options for when you can’t get your kiddos to eat meat.

1. Edamame - Edamame is a favorite among many kids for its fun factor - popping them out of the pod is an easy healthy after-school snack and activity. Edamame boasts 17 grams of protein per cup.

2. Peanut Butter - The options for peanut butter uses are endless and its protein content is good - 8 grams per 2 Tablespoon serving. Some of our favorite ways to enjoy peanut butter include on a sandwich, spread on fruit like Apple and Banana Cookies and even just eaten off a spoon.

3. Flax Seeds - Flax seeds can be incorporated almost anywhere (baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, etc.) thanks to its mild flavor profile. And just a sprinkle can bump up the protein your kids are getting - 2 Tbsp flax seeds gets them 3 grams of protein.

4. Quinoa - Another non-meat favorite, quinoa is one of the only plant-based proteins to have the complete amino acid profile. Quinoa will grab you 8 grams of protein per 1 cup (cooked).

5. Almonds - We love snacking on almonds - even our youngest likes to grab a handful of toasted thin-sliced almonds as a snack. For each ounce of almonds consumed, your kids can get 9 grams of protein along with the healthy fat and other nutrients almonds have to offer. Almond Butter is another great way to incorporate almond in your diet - especially if peanut butter is off-limits.

6. Chickpeas - Chickpeas are another great protein source for kids - roast them and toast them for a yummy, crunchy snack or blend them up into hummus - kids love to dip. 1 cup of chickpeas will provide 12 grams of protein.

7. Eggs - Another favorite, although admittedly my kids go through phases with eggs, so I have to get creative. Incorporating eggs in pancakes, french toast, oatmeal or muffins to bump up the protein content sometimes has to take the place of a warm plate of scrambled eggs BUT we do what we gotta do, right? 1 egg contains 6 grams of protein.

8. Beans - Beans are an amazing protein source (15 grams per cup of cooked beans). Paired with a complementary food like rice, beans have a complete amino acid profile, which is hard to find in non-meat protein sources. An easy way to get your kids to eat beans is to blend them up into a dip or do a taco-style rice dish with rice, beans, and some melted cheese - a little bit of cheese always goes a long way in our house.

9. Sunflower Seeds - I remember spending hours at the ball field when my younger brother was playing baseball and sunflower seeds were such a fun snack - spitting included. If you’re not hanging out at the ballfield, pick up a bag of shelled sunflower seeds and add them to trail mix, granola, or sprinkle them on yogurt. 1 cup of seeds (non-shelled) gives you 10 grams of protein.

10. Dairy Products - If you can tolerate dairy products, things like cheese and yogurt can be great sources of protein, especially for little people. Greek-style yogurt and cottage cheese have the most protein at 20 grams per cup and a glass of whole milk provides 8 grams. Look for yogurt with low sugar content and sweeten it up yourself using some berries or local honey.

For reference, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of peanut (or almond) butter, ¼ cup cooked beans, or ½ ounce of nuts or seeds is considered a 1 ounce-equivalent from the protein food group. So for the average 4-8 year old, you’re looking for 4 of those 1 ounce-equivalent servings each day.