Kids love Pirate's Booty, and so do we parents. It tastes great, and although not exactly a "health food", it's a much healthier alternative to "cheese balls" or even chips. It satisfies that junk food craving without the guilt of knowing you just fed your kids a bunch of known carcinogens. It's a new fave among Moms and kids across the country. The problem? It's expensive. My grocery store charges over $4 for a regular 'chip size' bag of this stuff. My 2 boys can eat this entire bag in one sitting if I let them. So, what's the alternative?
THIS:
The ingredients are basically the same, as is the cooking method. The nutritional facts are almost identical. The taste is just as good too! The only real difference to me is the price! They cost a little over a dollar for the same size bag as the Pirate Booty which costs 4 x as much. Win.
Another family favorite snack. The reality though is these aren't as healthy as people think. Again, they're better than Doritos or donuts, but still they're just a junk food. That being said, we all know it's a 'better' junk food, hence the reason we spend way too much on these little snack crackers. Since I'm on a budget though, I sought out an alternative and came up with these:
Walmart sells this inexpensive alternative to Goldfish snack crackers. Once again the ingredients, nutritional info and taste are all very similar. The difference here of course is the price. It's about half the cost of Pepperidge Farm's version.
Next up: Applesauce pouches. Have a look:
This is another expensive snack trend that I do happen to love. I don't always have fresh fruit when I'm on the go. This is my favorite thing to bring along for an afternoon of errands, and my kids love them. The problem is they run at close to $1 a piece!! Who can afford that all the time? Not me. SO, I finally found these:
My Walmart typically sells a 4 pack for just under $2, but I've been lucky to find coupons and even sales with this already well priced item. Good stuff.
Last one I'll mention is the cereal bar. Again, not a health food but we feel better giving these to our kids than a snickers bar, but Nutrigrain Bar brand can be expensive and the store brands can be disgusting, lol. Instead, I buy these:
Sure, there's a few more calories in these because of the added little frosting, BUT my kids love these and I don't feel too guilty giving these to my kids on the go either. Again, they're not exactly a health food, but they certainly beat McDonald's or Oreos!
Do you have a less expensive snack alternative idea? Please share in the comments!!
