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šŸŽ‰ Comment LINK for the recipe!! NEW!! High Fibe šŸŽ‰ Comment LINK for the recipe!!
NEW!! High Fiber Cereal Snack Bars! These snack bars are nut-free, easily made gluten-free, and no-bake. Just bash up some high fiber cereal and mix it with a few other simple ingredients. I like to add some hemp seeds and ground flax for an extra fiber and nutrient boost too.
We definitely don’t make homemade snacks all the time (see my last post haha) but when you have time or when the kids want to make something fun, these are a great option. Save this recipe for a rainy day or weekend activity!
This might be controversial but I’m feeling stro This might be controversial but I’m feeling strong today šŸ˜†
Every child and family is different and you know what works best for your situation. But I thought sharing what I’ve learned about navigating the tricky world of snacks/processed foods and kids might help some parents out there.
Here’s why I stopped policing what snacks my kids were allowed to pack for school:
1ļøāƒ£They are at the age (almost 11 and 13) where they eat plenty of nutritious foods throughout the day and I’m not as concerned about them getting protein and produce at snack time. When they were younger we treated snacks as mini meals with balanced choices but that isn’t such a priority anymore.
2ļøāƒ£They were no longer eating the ā€œhealthyā€ snacks I was buying and the food was going to waste.
3ļøāƒ£They were trading or asking for other kids’ snacks at school. Kids will find away to get what they want. You know the kids that go to a friend’s house and binge on the snacks they aren’t allowed to have?  I don’t want those to be my kids.
4ļøāƒ£Not a good feeling when your child tells you they told the school nurse that they didn’t have a snack in order to get the extra crackers she keeps on hand. Restriction can really backfire.
5ļøāƒ£Once I gave my kids more freedom to choose WHATEVER snacks they wanted, they started feeling more relaxed around food in general. They got more excited about meals and cooking too.
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That’s my 2 cents about snacks. I don’t think processed foods are good for us. However, they are all around us and we have to help our kids learn to live with them in a balanced way. There’s so much pressure on us as parents to keep the processed foods away from our kids so I hope my experience can take a little of the guilt away. I wish I had felt that relief sooner. šŸ˜ŠšŸ’–
Anyone else need this reminder?? šŸ™‹ā€ā™€ļø Wha Anyone else need this reminder?? šŸ™‹ā€ā™€ļø
What’s frustrating you the most about feeding your kids lately??
Maybe we can all make each other feel a little less alone. (And I think it always feels a little good to complain about it! šŸ˜†)
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I take it returned lunches and rejected meals a little too personally sometimes. The waste, the effort, the pressure to feed our kids in a certain way…it feels like too much once in a while.
But our kids are small humans with their own hunger levels and changing likes and dislikes. Many factors like time restrictions, socializing, and emotions also play into how much our kids eat away from home.
If my child only takes one bite of a sandwich, it doesn’t mean I’m failing. And my child eating everything I pack doesn’t make me a mom rockstar.
We can’t control how much our kids eat, but we can try and manage our feelings about it.
So, when a lunch comes home full or with the fruit and veggies untouched, I try to remember there are many opportunities for my kids to eat each day and each week. Eating variety takes time. I want my kids to trust their own hunger and learn to enjoy ALL foods.
Easier said than done, but I hope being honest with each other about it will make us all feel a little less alone. Feeding kids isn’t easy. šŸ˜ŠšŸ’–
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#lunchbox #lunchboxideas #feedingkids #pickyeater #momlife #honestmotherhood #kidslunchbox #kidslunch #toddlerfood
🄪 Comment LINK for my blog post filled with eas 🄪 Comment LINK for my blog post filled with easy lunch ideas like these! Save this post and share with another lunch packing parent!!
These are a combo of lunches from the short week last week and ones I’ve packed so far this week.
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The Beto boxes featured in the photos are the @planetbox Rover and the @omielifeinc UP.
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Please let me know if you have any questions!!
How’s lunch packing going for you so far this year??
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#lunchboxideas
šŸComment LINK below and I’ll send you the rec šŸComment LINK below and I’ll send you the recipe!
Apple and zucchini combine to make the perfect September muffin!
These muffins are tender, moist, and full of apple flavor. Plus, they are packed with goodness thanks to grated zucchini and apple, applesauce, Greek yogurt, and whole wheat flour. (Subs to make them dairy free and gluten free in the recipe post.)
Muffins are one of the best things to make with kids, so save this recipe for the next time you want a cooking activity. Be sure to check out my ā€˜Kids in the Kitchen’ section in the blog post for tips.
Great for a wholesome snack or breakfast, I hope you enjoy these little muffins as much as we do! šŸ˜ŠšŸ’•
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#cookingwithkids #zucchini #apples
šŸ³Comment LINK for my list of Make Ahead Breakfa šŸ³Comment LINK for my list of Make Ahead Breakfast ideas!! Because even making one thing a week will make a big difference!
Drop an emoji below that describes how you feel about weekday mornings...🤪 would be mine šŸ˜‚.
No matter how you feel about mornings, I think we can all agree that preparing food ahead of time reduces stress and makes it easier to have a nutritious meal for our kids and US. That’s why I wrote up a giant article filled with great make-ahead breakfast ideas as well as tips for freezing and storing those items.
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There’s a wide variety of recipe types in the post, so whatever your family enjoys, I’ve found great ways to make them ahead! Including:
šŸ§‡šŸ„žWaffles and pancakes (filled with fiber, protein, and even veggies!)
🄣Oatmeal: crockpot, baked and oatmeal cups, and overnight oats.
🧁Muffins and other wholesome baked goods (like breakfast cookies!)
šŸ³Egg dishes: egg cups, breakfast burritos, and freezer breakfast sandwiches.
šŸ¦šŸ„¤Yogurt and Smoothies: Parfaits are a favorite make-ahead breakfast at my house. Yes there are several ways to prep smoothie ahead or even freeze them fully made.
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What are ways you save time and your sanity on busy mornings?? Share below so we can all help each other out! šŸ˜ŠšŸ’•
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#breakfast #whatsforbreakfast #makeahead #familyfood #healthykidsfood #kidsfoodideas #toddlerfood #blw #mealprep #foodprep
šŸŽSeptember is all about back-to-school, hectic šŸŽSeptember is all about back-to-school, hectic mornings, busy afternoons, aaaaannd apple season. So, for this month’s Recipes to Cook with Kids, I’ve focused on recipes kids will love to make for fun after school snacks, make ahead breakfasts, and quick, comforting dinners. Plus, lots of nutritious and delicious baked goods that feature apples!
Make sure to comment LINK below so you can have the blog post with recipes to use whenever you want them!
Happy September, friend! šŸ˜ŠšŸ’•
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#cookingwithkids #applerecipes
šŸ‡µšŸ‡¹ Portugal, you were delicious. A little re šŸ‡µšŸ‡¹ Portugal, you were delicious.
A little recap of our week in the Algarve region of Portugal and one day in Lisbon.
I’m not the planner of our wonderful adventures (he likes to remain anonymous and not in pictures with n social media), but let me know if you have any questions I’ll ask him and I’ll get back to you šŸ˜†
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Traveling with kids is never easy but for us it’s worth it. We love trying new foods and enjoying local cuisine as a family. Luckily my kids love seafood but there were plenty of other options available too.
I’m a little sad summer is coming to an end, but incredibly grateful for all the experiences and memories we’ll have from this trip.
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