Pikesville Native Makes Great Kid Snacks

A friend recently posted a status on Facebook that I think most parents can relate to: "Jeff thinks he made a big mistake by letting Adelia have her first taste of candy today."

When we limit kids to healthy stuff like fruit and yogurt, it's easy to keep them off the junk—they don't know any better. But once they've gotten a taste of candy, chips, juice, and cupcakes, as they inevitably will, it's difficult keep pushing the celery sticks.

Fortunately, one very entrepeneurial Pikesville native (and mom) has created a line of healthy, all-natural snacks that my kids—and my wife and I—love. Noha Waibsnaider, who moved from Israel to Baltimore at age 10 and graduated from Pikesville High School, started Peeled Snacks after getting her MBA from Columbia and going to work for Unilever, maker of big-name brands like Ragu and Country Crock. "I was surprised at what was considered food," says Waibsnaider, who says she was shocked at the number of chemicals, preservatives, and other non-food ingredients that go into most brands on supermarket shelves. "People deserve real food."

Since founding Peeled Snacks in 2004, Waibsnaider has introduced several lines of snack packages including dried fruit, nuts, and, occasionally, dark chocolate. They range from single fruit and nut packages of everything from bananas ("Banan-a-peel") and mangoes ("Go-Mango-man-go") to Cherries ("Cherry-go-round") and Cashews ("Cashew Later"). Our favorites are the fruit and nut packages, like "Bing Bing Cherry" (peaches, apples, bing cherries, walnuts, and cashews) and, especially, "Shock-o-late" (pears, apricots, almonds, walnuts, and dark chocolate)—which is now being sold on all JetBlue flights!

All the snacks are 100% natural and organic, with no sugar, oil, or any preservatives added. I'm not the type who typically shops organic or looks for all-natural products, but I'm amazed how fresh and full of flavor these snacks are! The nuts even come in a small, separate package within the pouch to keep everything fresh. Frankly, genius.

Not surprisingly, the Peeled Snacks brand has become a huge hit since it's launch. Oprah Winfrey, Liv Tyler, Mariah Carey, and Rachel Ray have all sung the praises of the snacks and Good Housekeeping magazine listed among its "Healthiest After-School Snacks."As a result of all the good press and word of mouth, sales doubled in 2008. Waibsnaider, who became even more aware food additives, chemicals, and preservatives with the birth of her son, Oren, last year, says that even in the tough economy, her sales are growing as Peeled Snacks appears in more stores.

In Maryland and Washington DC, you can find Peeled Snacks at Balducci's, Nordstrom, Hudson News, Organic to Go, Marriott Gift Shops, Tranquil Space, Severna Park Convenience & Deli, Big Cheese, A Blooming Basket, and online at Amazon.com and PeeledSnacks.com.

As a special promotion for Learning to Crawl readers, use the code "PARENTING" to get Free Shipping (valid on UPS ground only at www.peeledsnacks.com. Can not be combined with other promotions. Expires 3/31/09).