One of the most requested lunch items from Ashlyn is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. We used to use Jiff until I took a step back and realized how much peanut butter Ashlyn consumed on a regular basis and wanted to switch to something healthier. We like Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter, in creamy of course. This peanut butter has only two ingredients, peanuts and salt. Unlike what we were using before which had hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, and sugar.
We also eat a lot of jelly. All of us like toast or biscuits and jelly in the morning and then of course pb&j. So, many days you can easily eat two meals with jelly in it. The top ingredient in 90% of the jellies on the grocery store shelf is high fructose corn syrup. Which means too much HFCS in your body! We really like Smucker's Simply Fruit. Yes, it does cost more but I am willing to "splurge" on healthy choices for my family. And you will be amazed at how much better it tastes! You can actually taste the fruit.
Dry cereal is an easy, low mess take along snack. The girls get tired of Cheerios all the time so I like to give them a variety to choose from. Two of our favorites are Kashi Honey Sunshine and Kashi Heart to Heart. They are both low in sugar, high in fiber, and full of whole grains and other goodness. Both girls love them dry and Ashlyn enjoys them in a bowl of milk sometimes for breakfast or a snack.
I recently discovered these Apple Straws. They are probably not the healthiest snack out there but they are a fun treat, better than candy or a cookie. They are all natural, which means no HFCS. Both girls gobble them up. Aubrey thinks they are the best thing she has put in her mouth and they dissolve and crumble well enough for her to easily eat! They actually taste like fried apple pies. Yum! They also make veggie chips and veggie straws so I am anxious to try them out as a side with our sandwiches.
I'm not a big fan of jarred spaghetti sauce. Too much sugar and sodium and not the best flavor. During my grocery trip this week I had both girls with me and it was lunch time. I picked up a jar of Prego Veggie Smart and some ravioli in the deli section for our lunch, something quick and easy that could be cooking while I put up the cold groceries when we got home. It actually turned out much better than I expected. The girls loved it and it was good for them! This has 2 servings of veggies in every 1/2 cup of sauce, 25% less sodium, and no sugar.
What are some of your favorite healthy food items?
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