Snacks You Feel Good About Giving

Let’s face it—the children’s snacks which are easiest to grab and go aren’t necessarily the healthiest choices (Goldfish anyone?). I’m always looking for new and creative convenience foods, while at the same time making sure that it’s decent for the kids as well. So, for today’s posting, I picked some of my favorites, and then plugged the nutritional information into the Snackwise calculator to pass on the best choices to you. Created for the public by the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “Snackwise® is a research-based snack rating system that calculates Nutrient Density in snack foods.” The site rates the snack three ways: BEST CHOICE, CHOOSE OCCASIONALLY and CHOOSE RARELY. Below are my findings. . .

Kashi Mighty Bites
If your child is tired of eating Cheerios, then bring out the Mighty Bites. They are shaped like “super heroes” and have a honey crunch taste. Mix it up by adding some dried blueberries—you have a fun, wholesome snack. Kashi says the cereal “is a tasty way to teach your kids about healthy eating.” Snackwise Rating: BEST CHOICE

Del Monte Fruit Chillers—Freeze and Eat Tubes
These are a new find for us, and both kids absolutely love them. They are tubes full of fruit (one pound worth!) which you freeze, and then serve (a la GoGurt). The package describes them as a fruit sorbet. The baby loves sucking on them to soothe her gums, while my 3 ½ year old thinks it’s yummier than a Popsicle. Del Monte says, “Cool kids will love this delicious tubular fun treat, and because it’s made with 1lb. of energy-driving REAL FRUIT, cool moms will love it too!” Look for these in the canned fruit aisle. Snackwise Rating: CHOOSE OCCASIONALLY

Clif Kid Z Bar
If you don’t know about Z Bars, you need to find out what you’re missing. Pint sized versions of the adult bar; Z Bars come in a multitude of yummy flavors that your child will just love. The bars are sweet enough to call dessert, but healthy enough to give in-between meals. Make sure you get a couple extra—you’ll find that you can’t get enough of them either. Clif says, “We take great care in creating CLIF Kid snacks to give kids fantastic tasting food with the right kind of nutrition they need for their growing, active bodies.” Snackwise Rating: BEST CHOICE

Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers
Breezy Mama Linnea recently turned me on to these—she described them to me as, “You have the yummy buttery taste of Ritz, but with the whole wheat.” Enough said. Serve with some sliced apples, a piece of cheese, or smeared with peanut butter and you got yourself a delicious snack! Nabisco says, “Indulge in the nourishing flavor of Whole Wheat Ritz with 5 grams whole grain per serving. It’s chock full of fiber-rich wheat and energy to get you going.” Snackwise Rating: CHOOSE OCCASIONALY

Flat Earth Chips
I saved the best for last—have you ever heard of a chip that actually has a serving of vegetables in it? These do, and they are so, so, SO good. My favorite is the Tangy Tomato Ranch. Flat Earth describes them as, “. . . deliciously fun, baked snacks made with the goodness of real vegetables and other wholesome ingredients.” Snackwise Rating: (this is the best part): BEST CHOICE (yes, you read that right—a chip that’s a great choice? Serve me some, please.)

Let us know your favorite snack by commenting below!

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