I have heard some moms say that they have to put snacks up high in their kitchen cupboards to keep them from little hands. I have seen some friends kitchens where there is an easily accessible drawer or cupboard stocked with kid snacks for consumption at any time of the day. And I have heard about a thousand other “snack rules” floating around out there. What I do know is that every body is different, and every family’s nutritional needs are different, and so I can be certain that there is not one “right” way to do snacks.

In our house, we graze. Three meals a day doesn’t cut it for any of the four of us. Our three main meals are generally smaller than a “typical American” meal, because we know that we’re going to graze again in about 2 hours. Grazing could be very dangerous if we had a freezer full of ice cream, cupboards laden with candies and breads and cookies, and a fridge stocked with meats and cheeses. Grazing on high fat, low fiber snacks is sure to lead to disaster. Instead, we try to focus on snacks in one of two categories: Veggie based or Fruit based. We have a printed list on the inside of our pantry door that lists “Grain/Casein/ Soy/Legume Free Snack Ideas“. It’s something I created for Leif to reference when he was first adjusting to his new way of eating a couple years ago. By posting it next to snack storage, he and the boys were never able to say, “I can’t think of anything to eat”. The other key to successful snacking was to be sure that we always had at least half of the ingredients on the list in stock. Most of the items are fresh and need a tiny bit of preparation time – requiring more effort than just grabbing a bag of something processed and pre-packaged. This turns our grazing is a conscious effort to nourish our bodies, not just something to do when we’re bored or emotional.

Perhaps you could use a little snack inspiration? I thought I’d share our list with you here. And please feel free to comment with your snack ideas, too – we’d love to add your favorites to our list!

VEGGIE BASED SNACKS

*Celery with cashew butter & raisins

*Plate of raw veggies with salsa (carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower)

*Sunflower seed crackers with artichoke tapenade

*Sunflower seed crackers with eggplant remoulade

*Sunflower seed crackers with canned chicken or tuna, mixed with artichoke tapenade or just olive, salt & pepper

*Baked potato topped with olive oil, balsamic, s&p, and fresh greens or steamed or sauteed spinach.

*Turkey & avocado wrapped in butter lettuce leaves (substitute or add sliced apple)

*Raw, jicama spears with nut butter

*Tomato & avocado drizzled with balsamic and olive oil (add red onion & any sliced citrus for variety – grapefruit, orange, etc.)

*1/2 a sweet potato with 1 chicken apple sausage link

*Baked potato with salsa or vegan pesto

*Canned chicken or fish mixed with avocado over greens

*Greens with smoked salmon, blue or raspberries, and sunflower seeds

*Kale chips

*Oven roasted brussels sprouts or cauliflower florets – seasoned with olive oil, s&p

FRUIT BASED SNACKS

*Homemade trail mix (combination of nuts and seeds of your choice, with dried blueberries, apricots, or cherries, and large flaked coconut – and perhaps a sprinkling of dairy free/soy free chocolate chips or chunks)

*Grapefruit & walnuts

*Raspberries or blueberries with coconut and walnuts, pecans or sunflower seeds

*Coconut milk yogurt with trail mix or just seeds or fresh fruits

*Sliced strawberries with sunflower seeds and shredded coconut

*Sliced banana or apple with sunflower seed butter

*Oven baked pear or apple, with cinnamon, vanilla extract, a touch of orange juice and a sprinkling of brown sugar

*Apple sauce with chunks of roasted winter squash and a dash of cinnamon and/or nutmeg

*Tall glass of cold nut or rice milk, mixed with chai tea concentrate (I like 1 part hazelnut or almond milk to 1 part tea concentrate)