“Let’s talk about S N A C K S, babyyyy” Probably not an appropriate title for a “Plant Based Kids Snacks” post but we’re going with it. Anyways, how many mama’s out there want to give their child sugar filled, chemically modified, processed the nutrients all the way out type of snacks...yeah, didn’t think so. But, who doesn’t have time to make these pinterest worthy creations, or pretend like their kid will live off of carrots, celery and hummus? Yup, right there with you.
I’ll be the first to admit, I got pretty lucky with Joss. She eats a lot of things I would not expect a toddler to enjoy- spicy potato tacos, teriyaki tofu, guacamole (she makes up for herself in other areas of tantrums, don’t you worry)- but snacks are harrrddd. I cannot tell you how many times a day she asks for a cookie, goldfish, juice, etc. & how many times a day I want to crave and just let her go cray. BUT I’ve done the back work & know one of my values as a mom is to fuel her body with the things I know will serve her. It’s taken lots of trial & error, and plenty of things thrown back in my face (literally) but we have found some staples that- 1.) are super quick for all of us busy women & 2.) pack a big nutritional punch.
Will your child eat this on the first try? Maybe & maybe not.
Will they stop asking you for sh*t everyday? Definitely not. (I mean, don’t you kind of always want a cookie too?)
But just keep trying. Just like with everything, the more exposure they get to it, the more comfortable they become with it. It ain’t always easy, but it’s worth it.
Plant-Based Snacks for Kiddos
Choco-nana Butter Bites:
What you need:
1 banana
1 TBSP Ground Flax Seed or Hemp seeds
1 TBSP nut butter of choice (or nut butter alternative!)
Take a peeled banana and coat it with ground flax seed or hemp seeds (this is to help with picking the bites up!) Then, slice the banana into desired thickness. Spread a layer of nut butter over the top and place a chocolate chip in the center. Voila! These are always a huge hit & packed with fiber. (Also great to make a big batch and freeze up for quick on the go treats!)
Basic Green Smoothie (Kid Style)
What you need:
1 frozen banana
½ c mango, pineapple, berries, oranges
1 tbsp almond butter
1 c plant milk OR coconut water
Throw it all in, blend it all up!
Berries n’ Cream Smoothie:
What you need:
1 frozen banana
1/4c wild blueberries
2 large dine kale leaves OR 1/2c frozen cauliflower if you kid won’t do the green.
½ scoop vanilla plant based protein
1 cup plant milk
OPTIONAL (but amazing for little bodies): 2oz NingXia Red
Ready for this? Throw it all in a blender and drink up. Feel free to sub berries or even use peaches for a Peaches n’ Cream mix up!
Hummus “Quesadillas”
What you need:
1 whole wheat or corn tortilla
2 TBSP hummus
3 slices of cucumber
1 tsp nutritional yeast
Spread hummus across the entire tortilla. Then, sprinkle nutritional yeast on top. Add cucumber slices. I like to chop them up a little bit to prevent them from sliding right out. Fold over & eat up. I’ve found as soon as it’s hidden in some form of bread- Joss is all about it. (I’ve also done this with leftover lentil curry instead of hummus and she loves it!)
Banana-Chia Pudding
What you need:
1 banana
½ c plant milk (I love Oatly!)
2 TBSP Organic Chia Seeds
OPTIONAL (but great sneaky greens move): 1 MultiGreens Capsule (opened)
Blend together ½ banana & plant milk. Then, combine chia seeds & MultiGreens Capsule with milk mixture into mason jar. Let it sit for a few hours - overnight. Chop up the other half of banana, mix in & eat up!
Some more easy ideas:
Fruit Salad (you can always mix in some frozen fruit) with 2 tbsp Coconut Milk yogurt, and a sprinkle of ground flax seed.
Find a veggie they like and serve it to them however they please. Boiled, raw, cut into bites- add in some hummus, plant-based ranch, yogurt, or even nut butter!
Sourdough toast or rice cake with avocado & nutritional yeast.
Hope these helped! Tag me in pics of your little rascals eating them up so I can share! Xoxo!