parenting

Pretzels are our default snack on the go. We just grab a few at the bakery and off we go. Mostly a southern Germany thing though.

For warm meals, we have Maultaschen. Simmer in broth for a few minutes and it's ready. In other parts of the world, there are variations of stuffed pasta.

Chia seed pudding: just pour some milk in a mason jar, add chia seeds, shake, then let is sit for a couple hours. You can add vanilla, coco powder, and sugar for extra flavor. Chia seeds are really healthy, hydrating, and will make sure your kids are getting protein, iron, and the omega-3 fatty acids they need.

Apples with peanut butter, or bananas with peanut butter are really easy and healthy snacks that kids love.

Popcorn (loose kernels, not individual bags) kids love popcorn, it's just fun. You can use an airpopper or a microwave bowl to make healthy popcorn, then season it. The pre-packaged microwave bag popcorn you'll find in stores invariably has a lot of hydrogenated oils and trans-fats, so avoid feeding that to your kids. Loose kernels are also dirt cheap.

It takes about 10-15 minutes to make, but if you have an air fryer, try frying up some broccoli florets. If you add salt and pepper kids will chow down on this stuff.

Try introducing nutritional yeast into your kids' diets, too. It's loaded with protein, fortified with vitamins, and has a mild cheesy/buttery flavor, so it's the perfect condiment to sprinkle in pretty much anything your kids are eating. You can even get them to put it in ketchup for when they're dipping nuggets or fries.