Tutti Fruiti: A Trio of Healthy Fruit Snacks

I mentioned a few weeks back that we have been having trouble getting Jane to eat anything besides PB&J and mac and cheese. She was even turning down her favorites like yogurt and bananas. Combine that with the fact that she has been telling us that she “wants something new” at the conclusion of every meal, and we’ve been in quite a pickle. We have gotten into the habit of going through the fridge and pantry to browse through the inventory of everything we’ve acquired from the grocery store. That will occasionally add one last nutritional component to Jane’s day. But, more often than not, it leads her to continue asking for “something new” or “something different.”

We recently discovered that she does love granola bars. I suspect that it’s actually the chocolate chips she enjoys, but either way, she will devour one. And, as picky as she is, she has always loved my mom’s Kashi cereal. It led me to start thinking about ways we could incorporate her favorite tastes into fun and inventive snacks that will seem cool and exciting. These three fruit based snacks all use simple ingredients that are Jane-approved and likely in your cabinets all of the time!

Trail Mix Apple Slices

  • Your favorite apple (I used Pink Lady)
  • Peanut butter
  • Kashi Golean Crisp! Cinnamon Crumble Cereal (you could use oats or granola as well)
  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Raisins
  • Marshmallows

Core the apple and slice it into thin rings. Spread the peanut butter to coat the apple and sprinkle with any combination of toppings. Jane really enjoyed helping identify the toppings and sprinkle them on to her snack!! Getting her involved has really increased her interest in eating!

Nutella and Pecan Covered Strawberries

  • Whole strawberries
  • Nutella
  • Chopped pecans

Spoon a few tablespoons of Nutella into a shallow bowl. Dunk the strawberry in and roll in the pecans. Ok, maybe I made this snack for me as much as I did for Jane. We both indulged in this particular treat!

Yogurt and Cranberry Krispy Rice Bananas

  • One banana
  • One single serving of yogurt (I used YoBaby strawberry)
  • Dried cranberries, chopped
  • Krispy rice cereal
  • Pretzel sticks

Mix krispy rice and cranberries in a small bowl. Cut the banana into four or five segments. Dip the banana in the yogurt and roll in the krispy rice mixture. Add pretzel sticks to the center of the banana. Chill for 30 minutes and serve.

I hope your family finds these snacks as “new” as we did. They have been a very fun way to get Jane involved in creating her own food! And they’ve proven to be picky eater approved!!

Does your tot have a favorite snack? Have you incorporated them into the cooking process yet?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here