TIP - Hearty and Healthy Snacks for Bedtime or Anytime

As I mentioned, we got an excellent list of snacks from our metabolic clinic at LB’s last appointment.  These snacks were recommended by a dietician as a healthy way to keep filling and nutritious food in the system of someone with a metabolic disorder like MCADD.  As always, you should check with your doctors before feeding anything new to your little one…and you should only feed age-appropriate items.

A snack can be thought of as a little meal, rather than a treat.  Healthy, balanced snacks should include a source of protein and a source of carbohydrate. 

Example Proteins (can be fat free or low fat):

• ¼ cup cottage cheese
• 1 oz cheese
• 4 oz low sugar/carbohydrate yogurt
• 4 oz milk
• 4 oz infant formula
• ¼ cup beans
• ¼ cup hummus
• 1 slice lunch meat
• 4 oz pudding (made with milk)
• ½ egg or 1 egg white
• 1 oz tofu
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• ¼ cup nuts (non-sweetened, not honey roasted)

Example Carbohydrates:

• 1/3 – ½ cup unsweetened cereal
• ½ - 1 mini bagel
• ½ banana
• 1/3 cup oatmeal
• 1/3 cup porridge
• 3-5 whole wheat crackers
• 2-3 rye crisps
• ½ whole wheat pita bread
• 1 slice whole grain bread
• 2 graham cracker squares (not sugar or cinnamon)

 
Put it all together and you get some great snack ideas, especially for the much-needed bedtime snack:

• Unsweetened cereal (like Cheerios) and milk
• Unsweetened cereal and yogurt
• Graham crackers and milk
• Whole wheat crackers and cheese
• 3 graham cracker squares with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• 1-2 slices low fat cheese and/or lunchmeat and 4-5 crackers
• ½ sandwich (1 slice whole wheat bread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter or 1 slice deli meat and 1 slice cheese)
• ½ English muffin with light cream cheese or peanut butter
• Mini bagel with light cream cheese or peanut butter
• Pizza bagel or pizza English muffin (1 tablespoon of tomato or pizza sauce and 1 oz low fat mozzarella cheese on half a bagel or English muffin, warmed or toasted)
• Celery sticks and 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• ¼ cup cottage cheese plus ½ cup pineapple or 2 pear halves or 2 peach halves
• ½ small banana with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
• Granola bar that contains fiber and protein

Happy snacking kiddos!