Back to Basics: Kid Snacks | FoodsOfOurLives.com
Do you ever get sick and tired of your kids constantly munching on crackers for snacks instead of healthier options?
I sure do.
I also get sick of paying for them! I went through a short stage of trying to make my kids happy in the snacking department (and my husband) and I was spending So. Much. Money. On snacks it was crazy.
And on top of the expense I didn’t like what they were eating. I mean I tried to get the ‘healthy’ ones like veggie straws and stuff which I realize contributed to the high cost but still.
We have been going through a financial course and realizing there are some area we should really cut back. Like snacks.
So I stopped buying them.
Oddly enough, my kids haven’t really noticed {{{{{{shhhhhhhh!}}}}}} I still can’t believe they haven’t said anything.
So what have they been eating for after school snacks or even for snack at school? I dunno….
Joking.
They have been eating things that are good for them. Things that are actually nourishing their little growing bodies and helping them grow up strong.
Now I have still been buying one snack type item about every other week, like pretzels, to break up the monotony and that seems to be working. Plus pretzels are great if I make hummus or some other kind of dip type thing for them.
I don’t know about your kids, but mine eat kind of a lot. I am quite sure this is common so keeping the little monkeys full is always challenging.
But like I said this is working. This will probably seem a little on the ‘duh’ side of things but I think it’s easy to forget.
FRUIT: An oldie but a goodie. I know. Is that too simple? Throw in one more element, peanut butter. Boom. My kids adore apples and peanut butter. You know what? Since doing this I have had to expand to having a second fruit bowl in the house because the first one was overflowing. So two fruit bowls and they get mostly emptied out every week. Costco is my main fruit resource. The only things I don’t buy there is apples and bananas. We like smaller apples and theirs are humungo monster apples. But I get all kinds of great fruit there in bulk at great prices.
SARDINES: my kids love snacking on sardines straight out of the can. Their favorite kind is Season Sardines I get these at Costco also. What a great food for them to snack on! It makes me all warm and fuzzy because sardines are SO good for them. High in omega 3’s and omega 6’s and protein this is like the ultimate snack food and they are super tasty.
VEGETABLES: still seem to simple? Back to basics people. My kids love a good veggie tray. I never say anything like, ‘kids today we are having vegetables for a snack!’ I’m more sneaky. Before I go pick them up from school I put out a nice big platter of veggies making sure there is a favorite for each person. Usually carrots, bell peppers, radishes and snap peas. I don’t do ranch, although my kids like it it’s not something I keep around and they eat their veggies just fine without it.
You know what? The platter is typically empty before dinner. They love it. And most parents I talk to say the same about their kids (although I know a lot of kids -and adults – have to have their ranch!)
COTTAGE CHEESE: sometimes we all get sick of yogurt and need to change it up. I find cottage cheese is a good alternative and you can dress it up if you feel the need. Add some fruit or berries and cinnamon and it practically becomes dessert. My kids love this to bits and pieces.
TRAIL MIX: this is something I throw together in like 2 seconds for my kids school snacks. I have a selection of nuts I keep on hand and various other things. I just step into the pantry and start throwing stuff in a baggy. Usually almonds, craisins, pumpkin seeds maybe some coconut or some chocolate chips. My kids love the variety.
If you are really feeling crazy, ha! Make some cookies together. There is not much more fun than making something together and teaching them how to cook. My older kids are able to make cookies by themselves now and that’s really cool.
Kids! Momma wants cookies!
Not really. Well maybe. Sometimes.
Just make something together. It doesn’t have to be cookies but something. We need to get our kids in the kitchen and learning to cook!
So I know this probably seems really simple and nothing new but I think it is good to be inspired by knowing it can be done – you CAN get rid of those snacks and get your kids eating healthy! You may meet more resistance than I did but move them slowly if this is something new. Don’t cold turkey them or they will probably resist and look at you like you have 3 heads. Just trudge ahead. One thing my mother-in-law taught me is to cut things up into small pieces. It totally works, you don’t have to get fancy, just make everything bite size for them and they love it.
What healthy snacks do your kids like to eat?
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
