No matter the age, we all have experienced feeling hungry in between meals. And when we are on the go picking up kids from school and getting them to play dates, sports practices, or creative activities, it’s easy to grab conveniently packaged snacks. Today, we have the pleasure of hosting our friends from Recspert, who will teach you how to make budget-friendly and healthy snacks that will keep your family fueled and happy on the go!
The Problem with Modern-Day Snacking 🔎
Nowadays, store-bought snacks are full of added sugar, high sodium levels, refined flour, and various artificial ingredients such as preservatives and additives. In addition, a growing number of kids also have allergies of which to be aware and avoid. This is where homemade, healthy snacks come into play!
Parents, grandparents, and other child caregivers have the opportunity to offer whole-food snacks to keep kids satiated until mealtime which will also provide added nutrients and energy. Of course, there is that thought that there just isn’t enough time to prepare healthier snacks.
If you block some time and include the kids in the cleaning and preparing of the fruits, vegetables, and additional snack items, it can be a fun time. You can have conversations and teach your child about how to portion,n and make good food choices. The hardest part is not finding time. The hardest part making time to get started!
Less packaging, More Satisfaction 😋
Think about the conveniently packaged snacks that you regularly purchase and think if you can easily package your own portions. Sometimes there are items in those packaged snacks that your child may not even eat.
How can you replace those items with something they like? With many varieties of reusable zip-top bags, bento boxes, mini containers for dips or sauces, as well as compartmentalized containers. These allow you and your children to customize your own healthy snacks to easily have on hand for lunches, in backpacks for after school, or even in a mini cooler in your vehicle en route to family activities.
You’ll have peace of mind that the kids’ bellies are getting full of the good stuff. As an added bonus, using reusable containers and zip-top bags also yields less waste to add into the trash and out into the environment.
Healthy-Snacks Meal-Prep 🍓
So, what can you prepare to have ready to assemble?
- Clean & cut fruits and vegetables
- Clean & cut fruits and vegetables
- Pop popcorn
- Make granola
- Make salsa, guacamole, hummus, and yogurt dips
- Bake your own tortilla chips
- Chia pudding
- Make ranch or bean dip
- Overnight oats
Healthy-Snacks On-The-Go 🏃🏼♀️
And what snacks or combinations of food can you recreate at home to have on the go? Below are some of the easy snacks to have ready:
- Yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit
- Veggies & hummus, guacamole, or dips
- Fruit & yogurt dip
- Chia pudding with fruit
- Trail mix with nuts, popcorn, and pretzels
- Baked chips & salsa
- Summer rolls with a peanut sauce dip
- Flavored popcorn
- Protein balls (peanut butter & chocolate chip is a favorite!)
- Crunch wrap with flatbread, peanut butter, banana, and granola
- Mini caprese snacks of grape tomatoes, mini mozzarella balls, and basil (cutting tomatoes and mozzarella for safety)
- Overnight oats parfaits with fruit
- Pita pockets with hummus & veggies
- Mini muffins (blueberry, chocolate chip, banana — any flavor and you control the sugar and limit the additives!)
Why Homemade Healthy Snacks Are Better 💯
Having your kids help assemble their snacks empowers them to make good choices and learn portion control. Because they are eating whole foods instead of processed foods, they are not consuming empty calories or increasing their intake of sugar and salt which can lead to added weight and swelling. Additionally eating whole food snacks will fill them longer, provide added protein and fiber, and help with their digestion and metabolism.
If you have difficulty with your children drinking enough water to help with digestion, you could also have them fix their water bottles with their favorite berries or a squeeze of citrus infusing their water with flavor encouraging them to drink water vs. prepared drinks with added sugar. Keeping a pitcher of infused water in your refrigerator encourages them to make better drink choices even when they are home.
Take Charge of Your Eating Habits! 🙌🏼
Create your own snacks to have during the workday or in a small cooler or insulated lunch box in your vehicle while you are running errands. This will also help you be more mindful of what you are eating during the day and set a great example for your kids. Once your family starts this change in daily habits, because you are all assembling your snacks, each of you will be learning and getting creative together as you try different combinations. Another benefit you may see is savings in your wallet along with feeling physically better with eating healthy!
