After School Snacks Made Simple
Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash
As you enter the middle of the school year, sometimes you may find yourself in a rut when it comes to feeding your kids.
Feeding a family is tough, especially during the school season when things get busy. Managing school schedules, multiple drop-offs, extra-curricular activities, and packing lunches can get overwhelming.
But feeding your kids doesn’t have to be stressful. We’ve rounded up 5 tricks to make after school snacks stress-free. We’re also going to be sharing some healthy snack ideas your kids will actually love to eat!
1. Create a DIY Snack Bin
This first hack is perfect for parents with multiple children or even for kids who enjoy variety. Sometimes the stress in serving snacks is that not everyone wants to eat the same thing. Instead of preparing a different snack to please each child, you can make a DIY snack bin. The DIY snack bin eliminates any food battles and allows kids to choose their own snack. All you need to do is select a few snack varieties for the day (or even the week) and designate a snack bin or basket to store them in. When it comes to after school snack time, let your kids serve themselves whatever they’d like from the snack bin. It’s a win-win because you get to decide what options they have and kids are happy because they feel like they are able to pick their snack for themselves.
Photo from Super Healthy Kids
2. Snack Prep on Sundays
For parents who are keen on meal prepping, this is for you. If you meal prep for dinners, why not do it for snacks too? It cuts down on time for you during the week and it’s a one and done situation. You can create a variety of fresh cut fruits and veggies to store in the refrigerator and have them labeled for each day of the week. When it comes time for snack, just pop out whatever you’ve packed and call it a day. If meal planning is not your thing, check out MOMables; they offer weekly meal plans, an extensive recipes index and healthy make-at-home snack ideas that are kid tested!
Photo from Taste of Home
3. Build a Freezer Stash
Can we all agree that freezer meals come in clutch when you need them the most? They are the best gift to tired parents who don’t have energy to run to the store for fresh ingredients. When it comes to snacks, there are tons of make ahead options that hold up well in the freezer. From energy balls to frittata cups, you can get really creative with make ahead snacks ideas. The best part about a freezer stash is that you can build it as you go. If you happen to be baking muffins, double your batch and store the extras in the freezer for a rainy day. You don’t have to carve out extra time to meal prep, per say, you just need to be savvy and hit two birds with one stone when you are doing your regular cooking.
Photo from Eating Bird Food
4. Utilize Dips
I have no shame to admit that ranch dip helped me learn to love eating carrots. I hated carrots as a kid, but there was something magical about dipping raw veggies into ranch dressing that transformed something so distasteful into something delightful. Utilizing dips can brighten up a snack plate or create novelty during snack time for your kids. The bonus is that many dips help bring extra protein or healthy fat into their diet too! Kids Eat in Color has a simple list of dips you can make at home to pair with fruit and veggies for a snack that will fill bellies.
Photo from Kids Eat In Color
5. Create a Snack Rotation
Sometimes the simplest hacks don’t require you to think outside the box. Rather, do what’s worked for you in the past and hit repeat. Having a snack rotation relieves any pressure to always come up with new food ideas on the fly. Instead, why not create a list of 10 snacks your child loves and save yourself the energy in testing out new recipes or having to Pinterest a new idea every week. All you have to do is make sure your pantry and refrigerator are stocked with the items on your list. If you’re afraid that a snack rotation may become too boring, you can grab some of these fun after school snack recipes to keep things fresh and exciting.
