Snack Ideas for Picky Eaters

We are in the home stretch before getting the week off of school for Thanksgiving! I feel like we are still recovering from Halloween, to be honest. But I’m so ready for a breather! The only downside is that I have to somehow feed my picky children snacks all week. This is more difficult when they don’t have school. You see, at school, they have one snack and that is it. No other choices. Nothing to argue or complain about. At least, that’s what I assume since I’m not there to witness any of these behaviors…but I’m hopeful that the face their snack is gone when they come home means they actually ate it. DON’T RUIN MY DREAM.

Here’s the thing: snack time doesn’t have to be a battle! We have found some really wonderful go-to snack items that we keep in heavy rotation and pair with their favorite fresh fruits and veggies. And yes, they actually eat the fresh stuff!

But there’s a secret to making that happen: offer it all as a kind of family-style snack platter. That way, they get to pick and choose what they want, making them feel more in control. This is a BIG deal for kiddos of any age. They want to make decisions for themselves and empowering them to do that with food is healthy for them and for you. (Read: less stressful!) Think about it: how much do we grown ups LOVE cheese boards? So much, right? Because we get to pick and choose what we want. Turns out, that’s a characteristic most of us have probably had since childhood!

One of our big time favorites right now happens to be pretzels. So I was THRILLED to see that Quinn Snacks had a selection of pretzels for my crunchy-salty-snack-loving boys! They are available nation wide at Whole Foods (huzzah!) and I love this part: they have something called Farm-to-Bag Transparency. That means you can type in the exact batch number on your bag of pretzels on their website and find out where all the ingredients came from, right down to the farm!

I. love. it. So does this kiddo:

Here are some of our favorite snack platter combos:

• Touch of Honey Pretzels + clementines + almond or peanut butter

• Deli Rye Style Pretzels + carrot sticks + peanut butter

• Classic Sea Salt Pretzels + sliced mini cucumbers + shredded cheese

These are just a few of the endless combinations you can come up with and tailor to fit your kids’ tastes. Be creative, have fun, and don’t micromanage. They’ll eat what they want to eat and it will be FINE. (<— saying this to myself as much as I’m saying it to you, FTR.)

To keep up with all the exciting things happen with Quinn Snacks, you can give them a follow here!

Simple Buttered Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan & Parsley

I remember the first time I had noodles with butter, salt, and pepper. It was sometime during my later elementary school years (maybe even early middle school) and I was at a friend's house. Her dad was home and he made it for us as a snack. That first bite was a revelation for me! Something about the combination of the butter with the pepper tasted like the most comforting thing to ever pass my lips. Sometimes, the simplest things give us the most pleasure. Now, if I'm having a rough patch or if I just need to feel like that awkward, naive kid at the end of a regular old school day.

This is my grown up version of that classic, comforting dish.

As much as I would love to eat egg noodles every day, it just isn't something my already soft, squishy midsection can handle. Sooooooo, spaghetti squash it is! And to be completely honest, I'm not complaining one. little. bit. Spaghetti squash lends itself well to all kinds of dishes that are typically made with pasta, but this has to be my favorite. It's simple, fast, delicious, and perfect for those slightly chilly fall days that require comfort food.

If you're feeling fancy, you can add a touch of garlic to the butter, or a bit a protein. Italian sausage is lovely, but a simple poached or fried egg will also do just fine.

Simple Buttered Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan & Parsley

makes 4 servings

• 1 spaghetti squash
• olive oil
• salt
• 4 T unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• salt & black pepper
• grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut the ends off the squash and then cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the seeds and pulp.
3. Brush the cut sides of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place the squash halves cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes or until tender.
4. When the squash is cooked and has cooled off enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the squash out of the skin. It will magically become noodle-y!
5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and season with salt a pepper. Toss the squash around in the butter to coat.
6. Remove from the heat and toss with the parsley. Transfer to serving bowls and top with parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Chocolate Banana Doughnuts

When Brad and I lived in Tokyo, we used to walk down a steep hill that led from our apartment to a narrow street. The first time we walked down this street it felt like we had gone back in time. Well, it felt that way until we saw a small dog with a hot pink mohawk. Many people who aren't familiar with the area likely miss this street with it's many restaurants and shops. Our favorite ramen shop was there, along with a little underground bistro called Vanilla Bean and an amazing doughnut shop called Hara Donuts. Stopping at the doughnut shop became a bit of a habit. We discovered very early on that it was well worth it to wait for the freshest doughnuts because they had the most amazingly crispy crust surrounding a soft, airy, subtly sweet inside.

I often find myself craving those walks, those doughnuts, and a cup of coffee on a lazy Saturday morning.

While I did not recreate the classic Hara Donut (which is soy based and healthy, as far as doughnuts are concerned), I did make these baked chocolate banana beauties. Riley helped. He's getting really good at "dumping" and mixing dry ingredients. It's also really fun hearing him say the word "ingredients" and to witness his growing interest in cooking. Actually, I have to give him credit for this recipe because it was his idea in the first place. One morning he just said, "Mommy, I want to make chocolate doughnuts with banana!"

Who was I to say no to a request like that? 

The doughnuts themselves are refined sugar free, but the glaze (which is optional...kind of) is not. I just couldn't resist adding the glaze and some fun sprinkles! #sorrynotsorry

I haven't found a place to walk that I love quite as much as the one from our Tokyo apartment to the train station, but I'm still on the lookout. Until then, I'll be enjoying these with my coffee every once in a while.

Baked Chocolate Banana Doughnuts

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/3 cup mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• Sprinkles

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients, including the smashed banana.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Spoon the batter into a doughnut pan that has been lightly buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.
6. Bake the doughnuts for 12-15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the glaze and stir until there are no lumps. (For an extra smooth glaze, sift the dry ingredients together first.) 
8. Remove the doughnuts from the oven and cool completely before dipping in the glaze and decorating with sprinkles.
9. After dipping the doughnuts in the glaze, set them on a rack set over a baking sheet to sprinkle. Let the glaze dry. 
10. EAT.