Photo courtesy of Google
Hello Naturals,
It’s back to school time! Yay?! That means having to find creative ways to make the meals stretch and getting the most out of our money. During this time of year everyone is on the go: soccer practice, PTA meetings (do they still have those?), deadlines, piano recitals, go, go, go!! By the time 3pm hits we’re beat and we haven’t even picked up the dry cleaning yet. So I’ve come up with some low-cost, convenient ways to make sure parents keep their energy levels up and kids get their RDA. Or at least keep everyone’s inner snack monster at bay until dinner!
Here is a list of healthy snacks that parents can pack into school lunches, and also have for themselves at work:
1 sliced apple and 1 babybel cheese
2 tbsp of peanut/cashew butter and 4 stalks of celery
1/2 bagel and 1 tbsp of hummus (mix in 1 tsp chia seeds for added protein)
1 package of Original Apple Nature Valley Fruit Crisps
1 cup unshelled edamame (guilty pleasure: I add a little salt to mine after toasting)
1 package Q.bel Dark Chocolate Wafer Rolls
1 wedge “The Laughing Cow” French Onion Cheese Wedge and 5 sesame crackers (I had this cheese a few days ago, for the first time…delish)
1 Fiber One Bar
1 baked apples (one apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
1 small ziplock bag of homemade trail mix: craisins/dried cherries, sunflower seeds, nuts, and low-sugar cereal
1 package of M&M’s Pretzel Chocolate Candies (I have a slight addiction to these, shhhh)
1 package of Peeled Snacks Much-Ado-About-Mango
1/2 cup Yogi Granola Crisps, try Fresh Strawberry Crunch
3 Blue Horizon Organic Indian-Style Vegetable Spring Rolls
7 Beanitos Pinto Bean & Flax Chips + 3 Tbsp. salsa (great for movie night!)
1 pack Organic Clif Twisted Fruit Rope (this and the next 2 items are available at www.yumyumsnacks.com)
2 Tbsp. Wholly Guacamole Classic and 6 Food Should Taste Good Cheddar Chips (these chips are gluten-free)
1 package Organic Sharkies Energy Sports Fruit Chews (also gluten-free)
2 of my favs: grill cheese sandwich ( low-fat cheese, tomato and good bread!) or a bowl of crunchy red grapes.
A few helpful tips:
•Be flexible, try to include your kid’s input when picking snacks. They are more likely to eat snacks if given a little say — but only a little! (lol having a flash back to when my son was a pre-teen, can you say “picky eater” yikes!!)
•Purchasing seasonal fruits/veggies will save a few bucks at the register. Or hit up your local farmer’s market to find what’s in season for fall (such as: asian pears, garlic, pumpkins, turnips, sweet potatoes and crab apples)
•If time permits, prep your snacks a few days in advance. It really does save you from having to worry everyday about what to make if it’s already done, trust me on this.
•Be mindful of how much you’re consuming, just because it says low-fat, fat-free, doesn’t mean it isn’t laden with sugar, or salt.
In my next post, I will follow up with a few easy-to-make meal ideas for school nights.
Now, I’ve shared some of my favorite snacks, but I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite healthy snacks?
Here’s to your health!
Nurse Ivy
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