I’ve written about snacking a few times including how to snack when you travel and fun snacks that engage kids. It’s easy for me to write about snacks because I love them for sustaining energy and maintaining metabolism. That said, I don’t recommend grazing, which denotes images of grabbing food throughout the day without a plan or consideration of the timing. Snacking, in my view, is deliberate, purposeful, and planned eating that can be built into our day to ensure we meet our daily needs. Since I recommend that snacks be planned just like meals, I also suggest getting the family involved in prepping snacks for the week. With a bit of effort, you’ll have balanced options ready for your family when you need them.
Snack Goals
Prep and package ready-to-go snacks to save precious seconds when everyone is running out the door to begin a full day. Keep the following things in mind…
- Have kids pick their classroom snack or after school/before sports snack
- Pre-portion after-school snacks if your kids will be home alone to ensure they eat the proper amount (and pack a pick-me-up for you to get through the mid-afternoon slump)
- Create snacks that balance out the day (for example, if fruit isn’t typically served with a meal, it should be included in snacks)
- Aim for variety in color and texture and choose some for the fridge and others for the pantry
A few ideas for the fridge snack bin:
- Cheese sticks
- Cut veggies
- Yogurt tubes
- Diced fruit (plus more seasonal fruit for the counter fruit bowl)
- Sliced veggies
- Individual servings of hummus and guacamole
- Individual protein packs (seek Guiding Stars rated options located in the meat department of your supermarket)
A few ideas for the pantry snack basket:
- Portioned “better for you” snacks including whole grain snacks, popcorn, multi-grain corn chips
- Granola bars made from nuts, seeds, and dried fruit
- Pouches of granola
- Crunch rice cake or rolled snacks
- Whole-grain cereal bars
- Pouches of homemade trail mix
Family-Friendly Snack Recipes
Make and freeze, or store in the fridge or pantry so these options are ready when you need them!
Soft Pumpkin Bars
These bars are more like a quickbread and are best eaten fairly fresh or frozen.
View recipe »Fruit Leather
Fruit leather is a great way to use up any odds and ends in the freezer or fridge.
View recipe »Oat & Dried Fruit Bars
These dense bars are very filling and good for sustaining your energy.
View recipe »Lemon Artichoke Hummus
Stock your fridge with homemade hummus for great flavor and improved nutrition.
View recipe »Muesli Breakfast Bars
Swap out the dried fruits for whatever you have in your cupboard.
View recipe »