Protein Packed Snack

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Getting kids to eat more protein doesn’t have to be hard. Just pick a protein that’s packed with flavor and has a day-long shelf life (bacon) and you’re on your way to a sweet and salty, cheddar packed snack!
My son loves dried cranberries and Goldfish® crackers. And I want him to eat more protein. So what does a mama do? She cooks up some bacon — and crumbles it — into…the…mix. And she creates — a Bacon, Cranberry, and Goldfish® crackers Snack Mix Recipe.

Now the nice thing about making your own bacon, is that you can crumble out the fatty part and keep all the salty pork flavor. When you combine that salty pork flavor with the sweet, tart taste of cranberries and the crispy cheddar flavor of Goldfish® crackers – well, you’ve got snack mix SUCCESS!

Ingredients needed for Bacon, Cranberry, and Goldfish® crackers Snack Mix

1 Package of Bacon (pick your favorite)
1 Package of Dried Cranberries
Goldfish® crackers in Colors
Goldfish® crackers in Cheddar

Directions for Bacon, Cranberry, and Goldfish crackers Snack Mix

Step 1: Gather ingredients. Pour out 1/2 cup of dried cranberries into a bowl, 1/2 cup of Goldfish® crackers Colors into a bowl, and 1/2 cup Goldfish® crackers Cheddar. Do not mix, yet.

Step 2: Cook the Bacon. I used a cast iron pan to fry the bacon to a toasty brown color and crisp texture. If you are cooking with a cast iron skillet – be careful – the handle gets very hot. Always use an oven mitt when cooking with cast iron. I will say though – cast iron makes for perfectly cooked bacon.

Step 3: Pat the bacon dry. Once the bacon is fully cooked, place it on a plate covered with a paper towel to drink off any excess fat. Once the bacon has cooled a bit, pat it dry with the paper towel to ensure there is no greasy residue. Then crumble the pork part of the bacon into a small bowl. Try to crumble up about 1/2 cup worth of bacon.

Step 4: Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Use a large tablespoon to collect the ingredients in layers in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Step 5: Place snack mix in a snack box. This snack is perfect for on the go snacking since you do not have to worry about bacon going bad during the day. It gives kids not only the sweet, and tart taste of cranberries, but also the crisp cheddar flavor of Goldfish® crackers. The bacon adds protein and a salty pork taste to the mix.

Where to find Goldfish® Crackers

You can find everything you need to create this sweet and salty snack mix at Walmart. I found the Goldfish® crackers on the aisle with cookies and crackers and the dried cranberries on the produce aisle. Plus, right now you can enjoy bulk Goldfish® crackers on rollback for $5.98 at Walmart. Save $1.00 on any ONE (1) Bolthouse Farms® 10 oz. Baby Carrots or Bolthouse Farms(® 11 oz. juice when you buy any ONE (1) Pepperidge Farm® Goldfish® crackers 30 oz. or larger. For more kid-friendly recipes check out Goldfish® Crackers online. You can also follow Goldfish® on these social media channels:

Facebook: GoldfishSmiles
Twitter: @GoldfishSmiles
Instagram: @GoldfishSmiles

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What’s your favorite sweet and salty snack?

Do your kids have a favorite sweet and salty snack? Have any snack tips or recipes to share? I’m always looking for new recipe ideas. Please leave a comment or recipe idea below and join the conversation. I love hearing from my readers.