Friday, April 17, 2015

The snacks

I recently read a list of things I didn't know about being a parent before I became one and one thing resonated more than the rest. The snacks! Seriously! At least twice a week I get out of the house and arrive at a toddler-focused activity to be greeted with "Mom I'm hungry". To which I silently respond with the F word. Out loud I say, "I'll see what's in my bag". 

You know what's in my bag? Nothing! Because I forgot to restock the snacks. Again. I never knew how many snacks in so many different forms I would need when I became a mom. I need dry snacks, savoury snacks, sweet snacks and water. I also need snacks for me, and now I need small snacks for the baby. 

They can't be just any snacks either. They cannot be granola bars for The Babe, she would rather starve. They cannot be squeeze pouches, because she will take two squeezes and declare she is finished. Raisins are hit and miss (I get that). Graham bunny crackers used to be on the no fly list, but I believe they have been allowed back into the rotation. I feel like toddler snacks could be seen as a parental draft pick. You buy a box, invest the money, and ride out the season to see which kind rises to the top and which gets benched one week in. 

Heaven forbid I toy with the idea of buying Welcher's fruit juice snacks - those set my mommy guilt rating at a level 5 red. The desire (need, societal expectation) to make my own snacks is overwhelming, but most of the time when I do, The Babe not-so-politely tells me my coconut flax seed energy balls are gross and she wants cheesy bunny crackers. Or I make delicious ants on a log and she proceeds to pick the ants off and scrape out the peanut butter with her finger, leaving a hollow log and dead ants on her plate. AAAAAHHHHH! I am stuck in the 7 levels of snack purgatory hell and I cannot find the Ritz mini sandwiches to get me out of here.

Of course Pinterest is both my friend and my enemy on this front. On the one hand, there are endless pins of "30 Snacks For Your Toddler" which serve as a helpful inspiration when I am in a rut. Single serving hummus and baby carrots? Love it! Thanks for the idea! However it also sets my expectations widely out of reach - see energy ball reference above. Even now, as I write this, I am looking at a box of almost too ripe kiwis on my counter and wondering if I could make fruit roll ups out of them. Then I laugh at myself, remembering I do not have 3 hours to sit around with my oven on low once I am finished peeling, blending, squishing, and spreading out these ripe kiwis on a baking sheet to be later cut up and tied with a colourful rope of which I do not own and would need to make a trip to Michael's for. Harrumph.

I'm looking for feedback on this one people. Are you in snack hell or finger food heaven? What is your go-to snack stash? Do you make your own...(fill in the blank here and it's okay if you write wine)?



~ H