I am a pretty clean eater. I do my best to encourage my family to eat the same. Luckily, my kids are small enough that I don’t really struggle getting them to do so. I just offer them what I think they should eat. Toddlers pose an interesting challenge because they need their foods to be portable, and bite sized. The idea of handing my eighteen month old a full banana makes me twitch. He would squish more banana than he would eat!

Frozen applesauce is a big hit in our house. I don’t know many kids who do not enjoy apple sauce. To make some, slop some apple sauce (homemade if you’ve got it, jarred if not!) into a pastry bag. Squeeze out small dollops of apple sauce onto parchment paper. When you are done put them into the freezer for at least four hours. When they are fully frozen you can transfer them into a zip top bag. When you are ready to eat, just give them right to your kids straight from the freezer. This also works pretty well with yogurt too! I like to have these guys on hand as a simple side dish to lunch for my youngest. Both applesauce bites, and yogurt bites do not travel amazing. They do melt quickly.

If you are on-the-go, or in a pinch, and have to stop for packaged snack foods, don’t despair. You can reach for a small bag of almonds or pistachios for example. They pack a huge protein punch, and will help keep your hungry kids full for longer. Another fun choice in a pinch are Peas of Mind broccoli fries. My kids love that they are crispy fries, I love that they are made of broccoli. Raisins and dried cranberries also make our list of things to grab when necessary.

– Stephanie Wright