10 Quick and Easy Natural Snack Ideas for Kids

Feeding your kids natural snacks that are fast and easy to prepare can be a challenge for fathers that aren't so natural in the kitchen. Here are 10 ideas from the Natural Father:

1. Keep a bowl full of fresh organic fruit within reach of your children, washed and ready to eat. Fruit is a great hit with most kids, and a blood sugar boost may be just what they need for a natural attitude adjustment.
   
2. Raisins and sunflower seeds are cheap, available just about anywhere, and taste great together. Buy in bulk and keep some in a container for easy access. Try some other combinations: raisins/peanuts, dried cranberries/walnuts, goji berries/sunnies.
3. Is plain old fruit not exciting enough for them? Try blending a banana with water. Now you've got Banana Milk. Goes great with anything. Add raisins after blending, and it's "Chunky-style Banana Milk". Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder and it becomes "The Amazing Chunky-style Chocolate Banana Milk". Get creative and think of a silly name, and you can get them to eat just about anything.
4. Sheets of nori spread with tahini or peanut butter or whatever you've got. Roll them up and watch them disappear.
5. When making banana milk or smoothies or other liquid treats, put some in popsicle trays or tupperware for the next "I'm hungry." If they are offered "ice cream" or "popsicles", they'll go for it.
6. Popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast and salt is super easy if you've got an air-popper (I see them at the thrift stores all the time - cheap). You can do it in a pan on the stove just as easy, but you can't walk away until you're done. Spirulina makes an extra-tasty super green snack and gives plenty of material for funny pictures as well. For a sweet treat, mix some sugar and cinnamon, drizzle the popcorn with alternative butter of choice, and mix in the cinnamon mix. I wouldn't recommend using honey or maple syrup with this unless you can hose them down afterwards. Trust me.
7. Two words: peanut butter. On anything.
8. If you're a sprouter, chop a little onion, grate a carrot, or a zucchini, or an apple over a bowl of sprouts, maybe add a shot of soy sauce or ketchup (or peanut butter), and serve with crackers.
9. Romaine lettuce leaves make excellent wraps, and can be filled with leftovers or sprouted seed spreads (I'll post some recipes for these soon), or your favorite pseudo-cheese product. Ours is jalapeno jack almond cheese. Fill one with a banana and raisins and yes, peanut butter. They'll probably go for it.
10. Oatmeal takes maybe 10 minutes to cook, and you can add any dried fruit or nuts (coconut flakes are tasty) and they'll be fueled up until mealtime. Why do we only eat oatmeal for breakfast? Some sort of food stereotyping conspiracy, I'm sure. If you make a big batch, keep the rest in the fridge and make fried oatmeal with it. Make cookie sized patties and fry in a hot skillet until slightly browned.

The most commonly heard question in my house? "I'm hungry. What can I have to eat?"


peace

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