Our Snack Solution

My 18 month old has become a monster....A snack monster. At least 15 times a day she takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen chanting, "Mama, mama,mama" and pointing at the refrigerator or pantry. If she talks someone into opening the refrigerator she climbs right in saying, "Want dat!". No matter that we've just finished a meal. She's hungry all day long and it's my job to try to fill her cute little belly with things that are healthy. It's exhausting.
This is how our refrigerator snack basket was created. We already have a snack basket that I keep in the pantry. It's usually filled with dye free fruit snacks, granola bars, veggie sticks, and trail mixes I make about once a month. Anyway. This got me thinking I should do the same thing, but in the refrigerator.

These are the things I added:

• Squeeze Snack things. Don't ask me the real name for these things, but both of my kids love them. 
• Fruit cups (pears, tangerines, applesauce)  
• Yogurt tubes. Maybe not a great idea. Little Bug made a pretty good mess. We live and learn. 
• Fresh fruit (strawberries, oranges, grapes) 
•  Biscuit and fruit dippers. Not something I would normally buy because they are on the pricey side. But I had a coupon.
•  Mini pepperoni with cut up cheese and mini crackers. My version of a lunchable. :) 
• Cheese sticks 
•  Fresh veggie bag (snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower) 
•  Celery with peanut butter. I got these tiny little containers at the dollar store when I was making baby food and they come in handy for all sorts of things.

So there we have it. She still raids the kitchen and demands to be fed, but this gives her the opportunity to make some healthy choices on her own. Go me :)