Talk Snacky to Me

When I got pregnant with my daughter, I vowed that I’d make all of her baby food. I bought recipe books, a blender and a festive apron, and once she was old enough, I set about the kitchen making homemade applesauce and butternut squash. I was excited about making homemade baby food, and determined, too – I was going to rock this new young mother thing, and I was going to rock it GOOD.

But my darling little girl – the apple of my eye – wanted nothing to do with my homemade baby food. She spit it all over me, as though it was the worst thing she’d ever tasted, and I wiped my dignity my futile efforts off of my flushed cheeks and spooned her some Heinz Starter Peas, which, naturally, she gobbled up in no time flat.

And that’s the way it’s been with her – over the years she’s become quite a picky eater, one who, nine times out of ten, would rather eat processed foods, stuff from the freezer or out of a can, than something homemade. Like her father before her, my daughter’s idea of a fabulous meal would probably be heavy on the carbs – battered, deep-fried carbs, wrapped in more carbs – with a side of trans fats and a smattering of starch for good measure.

Her younger brother, however, is completely the opposite. He lives for fresh fruit and veggies and is much more willing to give new things a try. He’s fairly adventurous when it comes to food, and as a result, has much broader tastes than his sister.

The school my kids go to has, over the last year, taken on a real healthy initiative. Chocolate, candy and sugar-based treats are not allowed in their lunches, along with anything made with nuts, of course. The new restrictions forced me to think of snacks – healthy, nutritional snacks – that my daughter would eat; in turn, it forced her to change her eating habits and try more things (although the only lunch meat she’ll come close to touching is black forest ham, and I don’t see that changing any time soon). Over the last few months she’s started eating foods she'd flatly refuse six months ago - things like yogurt, cheese strings, white milk and raw carrots, which makes a world of difference when it comes to sending healthy snacks with her to school.

Packing lunches for my son has been a breeze so far this year – compared to his sister, I’ve got tons of snack options to choose from. Some of his favourites include chick peas, red pepper hummus with pita bread wedges, sliced cucumbers with a drizzling of balsamic vinaigrette dressing, red peppers strips and tomato slices.

So, talk snacky to me – tell me what some of your lunch box staples are (Read: Give me snack ideas, people).

:::This is an original Canada Mom's Blog post. Mamatulip blogs her life at Where am I going...and why am I in this handbasket? and keeps it green over at The Green Mom Review.:::

 (Photo used with thanks to jpre86 via Flickr.)