healthy snacks?

My is son is 2 1/2 and refuses to eat breakfast, I give him apple jacks without the milk because he refuses to eat it otherwise. He eats a normal lunch but in between breakfast and lunch and lunch and dinner, all he wants to eat is chips and cookies. I don't give him that after breakfast but what kind of healthy good tasting snack can I give him? I tried fruit snacks but those aren't good for his teeth, he doesn't like crackers or yogurt or anything even near healthy.. any ideas?

My girls are like that they love nutrigrain bars, I'm not sure how healthy they are though and they love grapes!

Quoting Jennie51305:“ My is son is 2 1/2 and refuses to eat breakfast, I give him apple jacks without the milk because he refuses ... [snip!] ... fruit snacks but those aren't good for his teeth, he doesn't like crackers or yogurt or anything even near healthy.. any ideas?”

Maybe flavored crackers like chicken in a basket or those new flavored triscuits? They are sooo good. Also my god daugter used to love to have a little plate of immitation crab meat, grapes and cheese.

Kids may miss a meal but they won't starve. I'd take it all back to square one instead of trying to appeal to his obvious sweet tooth. A 2-1/2 year old has no need for the amount of sugar in Apple Jacks- make it plain Cheerios. Offer him fruit- usually the jucier ones are a bit sweeter but still healthy like pears and grapes. Take the cookies out of the equation altogether. Go for things like string cheese, peanut butter on whole grain crackers, etc. If he doesn't want them, don't push but don't give in and offer him something that's unhealthy just because you're afraid for him to not have a snack or a meal.

why not try something like this to make it fun...maybe they will eat it then!
http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/kids/feature/famf19snack/famf19snack2.html

check out the book Deceptiely Delicious. It has tons of recipes on how you can incorporate veggies, whole grains, etc. in "not so healthy food". I once made some mini muffins that had spinach and you would have never guessed!

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

I don't know if that book has a recipefor it but my friend makes her little girl cookies with organic whole wheat flour and splenda and makes them oatmeal raisin so that they're good for her and taste yummy too. I'm a huge believer in compromise lol. Kinda like my MIL tricks my FIL into eating whole wheat bread by buying the whole wheat white bread stuff lol.

You give him apple jacks and cookies and you are worried about fruit not being good for his teeth? I just don't understand that.

Like another poster said, kids will not starve themselves. If you give them healthy choices, they will eventually eat them. I wouldn't even keep that stuff around. Try grapes, blueberries, watermelon or celery with peanut butter. Those types of things usually appeal to toddlers.

I rarely give him cookies and they aren't chocolate chip or anything and it's for his in between lunch and dinner snack which I think is fine. Fruit snacks get stuck in his teeth and I hate it. I keep goldfish, crackers, ritz with cheese/peanut butter in the middle... he just keeps saying no and then cries when there is nothing he wants. I told him too bad, was just sick of him crying about it and wanted know what everyone else gave thier toddlers for snacks. Oh and I give him apple jacks for breakfast and his nutritionist said that is fine as long as he is eating his breakfast. He won't eat cherios, I don't blame him I don't like them either. I eat apple jacks with him, or about 3 times a week we have scrambled eggs..

Quoting Jennie51305:“ I rarely give him cookies and they aren't chocolate chip or anything and it's for his in between lunch ... [snip!] ... I don't blame him I don't like them either. I eat apple jacks with him, or about 3 times a week we have scrambled eggs..”

I personally think cookies and crackers are fine for a snack...I know people who subsitute junk food for lunch! I personally like cheerios better but at least he is eating!

My kid is starting to get picky. He gets string cheese, sometimes those lunchables jrs, I grill chicken and bread them with puffs. He gets rice and loves fruit.

For breakfast does he like oatmeal? Toast? Pancakes with blueberries in them? Hmm I can't think of a lot right now.

I don't know why but he gags on oatmeal and yogurt, stuff like that. I could try maybe raisin bread toast maybe that'll work. I don't substitute any junk food for lunch or dinner, he gets a hot dog, chicken nuggets, vienna things... stuff like that and for dinner he eats what we eat unless it's soup then i'll make him something else. Thanks for the ideas everyone i'm hoping to pick up some regular fruit for him today and stuff that we could make together maybe it will look more appealing to him if we make it first.

My kids like raisan bran, most of the time without the milk too. And we call anything with raisans in it raisan bran...another better option that apple jacks.

For snacks we do apples, sometimes with PB...my kids like to dip, so I warm up a little PB so it's warm and soft and they can dip apple slices in it. Cheese sticks are another fave. They also like yogurt with granola in it...I know you said he doesn't like yogurt, but that might be a difference. I also get Stonyfield farms, which is creamier and so much yummier imo. You can also make easier pudding pops or yogurt pops for him too.

I agree with the other moms, too, who said they won't starve. My kids only eat dinner once or twice a week because they've become very fussy and I won't cook two meals. They eat breakfast and lunch just fine, normally.

For breakfast have you tried things other than cereal? My kids love cheesy eggs...basically scrambled eggs with cheese. Gracie likes them plain, but Jace likes ham in them. They don't take long to make and the protein fills them up.

This is why I am a firm believer in instilling healthy eating habits in our children from the get go.

Then getting them to eat healthy isn't something you need to work on b/c that is all that they know.

Quoting EastonsMom:“ This is why I am a firm believer in instilling healthy eating habits in our children from the get go. ... [snip!] ... from the get go. Then getting them to eat healthy isn't something you need to work on b/c that is all that they know.”

I agree.

I just saw the nanny (the one with the TV show...Jo Frost??) on Regis and Kelly ad she answered a few questions. One was "my son eats chicken nuggets and french fries every night. My daughter and I eat more healthy and balanced. How can I get him to eat better too...more vegetables and healthy meats?" Her answer: "Who buys the groceries? Who makes the meal? Who puts the food on the table?"

Only give them choices that are things you want them to eat and they will only have the option of eating that...they WILL NOT starve themselves!