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On-the-Go Kids Snacks
by Heidi Combs
Remember the old TV shows, “Leave it to Beaver,” and, “The Brady Bunch”?
The kids would wander in after school to find fresh-baked oatmeal
cookies and frosty glasses of milk on the table for their after school
snack. Mom (or was it the housekeeper?) would be standing there in her
apron, beaming, as the kids enjoyed their feast and talked about their
day.
Fast forward to 2005. We dash into the house at 3:23. One kid needs to
use the phone, one has to find his backpack, the baby needs changing,
and everyone is hungry. Oh, and we all need to be back out the door on
the way to swim lessons by 3:30. I grab a couple of bananas on the way
out, like I’ve done a thousand times before. Good thing my kids like
bananas!
The truth is, it’s tricky to provide healthy snacks- even on less hectic
days. Parents know that kids love to snack. We’d like to see them
noshing on nutritious fare, but we don’t always have time or creativity
to manage this. The supermarket is full of kid foods in bright
packaging… but much of it is full of sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
With this in mind, I’ve compiled a list of super-quick snack choices. I
keep it taped to the inside of a cabinet door in my kitchen. Most of
these snacks can be pre-packaged in plastic baggies and grabbed on the
way out the door- literally.
Animal Crackers
Applesauce or cottage cheese snack cups
Cereal
Cheese cubes
Crackers with cheese or peanut butter
Fresh Fruit
Frozen grapes (Warning: choking hazard!)
Goldfish Crackers
Graham Crackers
Granola
Mixed Fruit snack cups
Muffins
Popcorn
Pretzels
Raisins/ other dried fruit
Snack mix
String cheese
Sunflower seeds
100% Juice Boxes
All of these snacks are more healthful than the kid-sized portions of
junk food we might be tempted to grab instead. Jot these down, maybe add
a few I didn’t think of, and tape the list inside your kitchen cabinet
door. I feel calmer now when I have to dash out the door with my hungry
kids, and they’re thrilled to be getting something (anything!) besides
bananas…
About the author
Heidi Combs is a mom of four in Indiana. For more snack ideas, along
with recipes and a free newsletter, visit her Healthy Kids Snacks web
site at
www.healthy-kids-snacks.com.
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