When you’ve got a 3-year-old, snacking is nearly always a challenge. They want gummies in the shape of superheroes; you want them to have celery sticks and baby carrots. Thankfully, there are a few new products on store shelves that are the perfect compromise between the fun, sweet stuff that kiddos want to devour and the healthy, nutrient-filled goodness that moms and dads want to stock the fridge and pantry with.
Eating healthy on the go can be especially challenging for littles. It is just so much easier to grab a baggie of crackers than it is to tote along Greek yogurt and fresh berries. The organic brand, Happy Family (founded by moms), offers a great solution with its portable and health-forward snacks. Happy Tot Morning breakfast blends are packed with omega-3s and fiber and come in super-easy pouches filled with whole grain oats, whole milk yogurt and organic fruits. (Flavors include apple cinnamon and banana blueberry.) Great for enjoying in the car on the way to the sitter’s house, kids will adore the fruity flavors that make it seem more like dessert instead of a satisfying breakfast or a.m. snack.
Happy Family’s protein-packed Happy Yogis freeze-dried yogurt and fruit snacks are just a tasty and portable as a gummy snacks for tots–but so much better for them. Because they are made with yogurt, they dish up probiotics for your tot’s digestive health, to boot. (Flavors include mixed berry, strawberry and banana mango.) Plus, they melt in your mouth so they are easy to eat, even for the littlest mouths.
Made with good-for-you ingredients like whole grain brown rice, kale, sunbutter and Salba, the crunchy Super Toddler Bars look and taste just like sugary breakfast bars–but are so, so much better for little ones. Give one to your kiddo when you dig into your daily protein bar to make them feel extra grown-up. (Flavors include chocolate sunbutter, honey grain sunbutter, apple and kale and mixed berry.) www.happyfamilybrands.com.
Now, what to wash that all down with? Good2grow is an innovative lineup of juices made from fresh and nutritious ingredients. The beverages are 100 percent juice–no added sugars, no corn syrup, not artificial flavors or preservatives. Kids savor the fruity flavors, including fruit punch, apple juice, tropical medley and strawberry kiwi and just adore the brand’s unique packaging. A sippy cup meets straw, the SippaTops include kids’ most beloved characters, from Mickey to Hello Kitty. The bottles are recyclable (you can put refill juices) and come in three size groups designed to suit certain ages. Though water is, of course, the most ideal drink for kiddos, good2grow offers nutrition and great taste for when children are craving something a bit more flavorful. $2.49 to $2.99 for individual bottles; $2.99 to $3.49 for refill packages. Available at most grocery stores. www.good2grow.com.
Grocery Great: For Toddlers
