Gluten Free Dairy Free Summer Snacks for Kids With Sensory Processing Disorder {Phew!}

We’ve come some distance since I started the UnProcessed Kitchen! My son is now dairy free for the most part; but seems to tolerate a little bit of butter and goat cheese. This summer we are taking the plunge and going gluten free for a while to see if that helps.

Because of that, I need to re-think my summer snacks. That wipes out about half of my old Top Ten Snacks For Kids With Sensory Processing Disorder list. The good news is that they do not have to be semi-shelf stable because we will be eating at home rather than at school.

I am printing this list out and putting it on the ‘fridge!  If I recall correctly from last summer; foraging for snacks gets old real quick.

Naturally, these snacks have different degrees of oral proprioceptive input with  SPD kiddos in mind!

• Organic whole carrots.  I don’t know why they are more fun when they are whole; but for some reason if I leave a little ‘green’ showing on the top my kids can’t get enough!

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• Organic applesauce:  When organic apples are on sale I buy a bag because they are cheaper that way.  After a few days, my family is apple-d out, so I make applesauce.  I don’t have a set recipe.  I just take what apples I have, remove the core, cut them up, and start the crock pot on low.  After a while I peek in on them and add water if they look dry and keep mashing them up until it looks like applesauce.  A little cinnamon and even less sugar (like, a teaspoon) and we have a nice mushy snack that can be sucked through a straw when it is cooled.
• Hard boiled eggs:  I use cage free, grain fed organic eggs.  Bonus tip:  if your kids won’t eat hard boiled eggs, but are kind of nerdy, tell them they can be like an oviraptor.  You’re welcome.

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• Dried apricots:  Chew, chew, chew!
• Frozen organic grapes
• Nuts with shells on; they have the bonus of protein AND a little proprioceptive input when the kids crack the shells.

• Sunflower seeds in the shell

• Apple slices and peanut butter

• Snack mix of raisins and peanuts.  Crunchy and chewy with a little protein just for fun.

For the most part, I shop at ‘normal’ grocery stores so choosing organic is the best I can do.  Although I will probably never be the kind of person that grows and grinds my own wheat; making different choices at the grocery store is the kind of change I can make.

What would you add to this list?