Looking for snack suggestions, non grain please

[mommybear!]

Just started looking into the Paleo lifestyle choice.  Not fully committed yet but realizing I am feeding my 19 month old way too many cheerios for snack.  Granted it's plain organic o's but it still turns into sugar non the less and is a processed food.  I'm looking for suggestions to put into a snack cup.  She likes berries and grapes.  Sunflower seeds a favorite but messy.  Cheese went okay.  Not ready for whole nuts.  Any thoughts?

[michaeljacknnugg]

Cut up veggies and hummus is good!
Also mini smoothies, we get them in a pouch/tube but you could make them if you wish
Cheese cubes
Yogurt

[cath~]

Dried fruit eg apricots, prunes, figs, bananas, pineapple...

Pop corn?  You can make it yourself which is a lot of fun, just with butter and no sugar/salt.

[mommybear!]

I forgot I have a reusable pouch.  Mini smoothies is a great idea!  I like dried fruit too, not as messy as fresh.  Thanks ladies.

[creations]

You can make pancakes with just banana and ground almonds. And muffins or cupcakes with chickpeas or white beans.
I give DS cold veggies which I've cooked the night before. Corn, peas, green beans, asparagus, carrot batons.
You could also make savoury snacks like bean/lentil burgers or felafel. They freeze well I used to make a batch and just defrost a couple of days worth at a time.

[mommybear!]

I love the pancake with bananas and ground almond idea.  I've heard of almond flour and coconut flour but haven't tried either.  Not sure I want to try beans.  I'm still undecided.  On the Paleo diet or lifestyle legumes are a no.  Which I find strange since they are a plant you can harvest fairly easy.  I guess since you have to cook it or soak to eat, it's not as easily digestible as other plants.  They have such great fiber though so I don't think I want to give them up entirely.  What is felafel?

[deb]

If you're going to go Paleo I find it helps a LOT to approach it from what I CAN/SHOULD be eating instead of what I should be avoiding. So....meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds (sprouted), healthy fats. The reason grains and legumes are avoided is primarily because they're relatively empty carbs and because the phytates makes them hard to digest, and if you have a compromised gut it's even harder on your gut lining. Grains are also really not that terribly nutrient-dense, especially compared to meat and veg/fruit. Here's an article about the grains: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/why-grains-are-unhealthy/#axzz38FawMebj, and here's a note from the same blog on legumes: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/beans-legumes-carbs/#axzz38FbpgVzu

So, with that in mind, snacks for us might just be small meals, portions of leftovers. They might be small bowls of soup. They might be hard-cooked eggs (maybe devilled eggs!) or a quick scramble. They might be avocadoes (AWESOME snack for little - just cut in half and serve with a spoon!), or they might be carrots dipped in sour cream, or diced and cooked till just soft in butter. Little chunks of meat dipped in sour cream or yogurt works. A salad with meat and/or hard-cooked egg as a garnish, with some olive oil dressing - yum! A little Googling will find you crazy healthy Paleo snack recipes; I have a vague recollection of one with coconut oil and cocoa powder and almond butter. If we have fruit, we try to have it with a small serving of good fats like sour cream or full-fat yogurt. Hard-core Paleo tends to avoid most dairy, but we can handle yogurt OK here; I make a gallon or so weekly.

I'm allergic to almonds so I don't use almond flour, but I do use coconut flour from time to time - LOVE it. I don't really bake, but I have used it for "breading" chicken and fish nuggets and I sometimes add some to an egg bake for texture.

If you're worried about fiber, as long as you're getting plenty of vegetables, you're getting plenty of fiber. Seriously, the fiber content of broccoli? Lettuce? Carrots? Cabbage? More than enough. Oh, do note: corn is a grain, not a "vegetable."

Have you seen the Paleo Parents website? They live near me (haven't met them yet, but love the blog!) and have 3 boys and lots of ideas! http://paleoparents.com/ Might be a good starting place! 

Good luck!

[lhurley168]

I don't know if the paleo diet allows for pickling, but my DD loves pickled eggs. The dried fruit was also a good idea. There is a recipe for pumpkin muffins which you could probably use bananas too that just has egg and almond flour. I'm looking forward to reading more ideas on this thread!

[ZacsMumme]

Well there goes 1/2 my ideas - T has lots of legumes as finger food - he loves chickpeas and cannelloni beans. Hummus and roasted root verges cut up small.

Other ideas. Banana bread, there are lots of pales friendly banana bread recipes on Pinterest or via google.
Cashews are a fav.
100% chicken sausages or mini homemade meat patties with ground beef or lamb.
Dates are good for a sweet something that isn't processed sugar. You can use date paste in place of any other liquid sugar in recipes.

Banana pancakes are made with just egg and mashed banana. I mix together and fry in coconut oil.
Sourkraut (sp?) is fantastic for the gut, but I'm yet to make it. Plus I think T would screw up his face in disgust.

Grapes? Mango slices, mandarin and apple are good fruits for little people.

I get the whole paleo thing, but personally I think they have been fantastic for T who is already on a limited diet. Our biomedical pead thinks they are absolutely fine along with a healthy diet low in sugar and processed foods.

[creations]

What is felafel?

Sorry no good for your chosen diet as they are made from chick peas.

Oh, do note: corn is a grain, not a "vegetable."

I did wonder that as I typed it. Peas too then I assume.

[deb]

Peas are legumes.