Nut Butter Puffs and Other Healthy Snacks You Can Feel Good About Giving Your Kids
Even kids with the pickiest palates tend to love standard “junk food” if given the option. It’s easy to see why: from gummy bears to potato chips, some of the foods with the worst nutritional value –e.g., none– tend to taste the best.
ICYMI: There are lots of healthy and yummy snacks for littles, so snacktime doesn’t have to be a battle! With these tasty alternatives, you can ensure your kids get the nutrients they need – with peace of mind that their taste buds are happy, too. From nut butter puffs to sweet potato fries, we’ve compiled some inspiration for treats that you can feel good about giving your kids!
1. Nut Butter Puffs
Mission MightyMe’s Proactive Nut Butter Puffs are the perfect snack for kids of all ages. Designed for babies starting solids and up, these carefully crafted bites contain equal parts peanut, cashew, walnut, hazelnut, and almond protein. That means they’ll leave your little ones feeling fuller longer, while supporting their growth and development. Big kids love the taste, too!
As an added benefit, including peanut protein in your child’s diet during infancy can reduce the likelihood of developing a peanut allergy. Nuts and nut butters are choking hazards and the baby aisle is almost entirely allergen-free, so this quick-dissolve puff is the ultimate mom hack to introduce peanuts and tree nuts early in a safe way, and keep nuts in the diet often. Based on the LEAP Study, leading health organizations now recommend early introduction of peanut foods to help prevent peanut allergies from developing.*
2. Baked Carrot Chips
If your kids aren’t fans of raw carrots, slicing and baking carrot chips —roughly ¼ of an inch thick—is a great way to get vitamin A into their diets. After chopping regular carrots into small discs, toss them in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and some cinnamon, nutmeg, or paprika. Then, spread them on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes.
Since carrots have more natural sugar than the average vegetable, these chips are a sweet treat, but it’s still one you can feel good about including in the snack rotation. Carrots are high in potassium, antioxidants, and several other essential nutrients.
3. Cinnamon Pita Chips
When your children crave something sweet, consider serving up some homemade pita chips sprinkled with cinnamon. If you want a sweeter taste, you can also sprinkle a tiny bit of extra sugar (optional!). Use 100% whole grain pitas for extra fiber. Serve them with vanilla Greek yogurt for dipping, and your kids will get a little bonus protein at snack time, too!
4. Shiitake Crisps
These delicious Shiitake Crisps are just as salty and crunchy as traditional potato chips, but they pack a nutritional punch. Shiitake mushrooms contain vitamin D, iron, protein, and fiber, so it’s a great snack for kids to munch on between meals.
After preheating the oven to 375 degrees, slice about 1 pound of cleaned and stemmed shiitake mushrooms. Drizzle the slices with about ⅓ cup of olive oil and then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the mushrooms. Spread the slices on a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes, until they’re nice and crispy.
5. Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Who doesn’t love french fries? We’re fans of these baked sweet potato fries as a healthier alternative. Sweet potatoes are loaded with manganese, potassium, beta-carotene (which your body can convert into vitamin A!), and vitamins B6 and C. Make the switch more enticing by serving these with fun dipping sauces, like a maple cinnamon or toasted marshmallow dip. Good old ketchup is also a great choice!
Stock up on Nut Butter Puffs Today!
On the hunt for kid and baby-friendly nut butter puffs? Check out Mission MightyMe’s Proactive Nut Butter Puffs. Made with simple, all-natural, non-GMO ingredients, this functional, tasty and science-backed snack is sure to satisfy even the pickiest palate. Plus, they’re free of cane sugar, preservatives, palm oil, and artificial ingredients – which means you can feel good about giving them to your littles, making early allergen introduction easy and enjoyable for the whole family. Start shopping today!
*FDA HEALTH CLAIM: For babies with an increased risk of peanut allergy (babies with severe eczema, egg allergy or both), introducing age-appropriate, peanut-containing foods as early as 4 months may reduce the risk of developing a peanut allergy. Caregivers should check with the baby’s healthcare provider before feeding the baby peanut-containing foods.
