The perpetual snack dilemma of summertime. Sigh. All the kids are home…all the time. At my house, that means the boys are constantly hankering for a snack. Here’s what we are doing this summer to make snacking fun and unburdensome, while training the kids to take over in the kitchen!
1. Make a menu. Choose healthy snacks that can be easily made with ingredients on hand. Without a menu, it is easy to get sucked into buying pre-packed snacks, chocked full of preservatives and sugar. Because it is my personal style of cooking, I find it valuable to teach the kids to make something great with what’s available. (It doesn’t have to be fancy!)
2. Set a time for snacks every afternoon (or morning and afternoon) so there’s not constant inquiry about snacking. Everyone knows when snacktime will be, and eats enough at mealtime to adjust accordingly.
3. Rotate snacks on a summer calendar so that everyone can see what’s on the menu, and there is no debate about what to have each day.
4. Take turns making or preparing snacks each day. Kids love to cook! Simple snacks are a great way for them to take ownership of what they are serving up to the entire family!
Here are some snack menu ideas from our kitchen…
-popcorn balls
-trail mix
-ants on a log
-carrots sticks in cucumber cups
-fruit skewers with yogurt
-mini nachos (chips/beans/cheese/homemade blender salsa)
-frozen juice popsicles
-apples and peanut butter cups (they sell little containers for cheap at Walmart)
-sliced bananas with cinnamon and honey
-deviled eggs
-cream cheese and shredded carrots pinwheels
What are some easy go-to snacks your family enjoys? How do you manage summertime snacking?
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Thanks Ruth! Great ideas for snacks here.
You are so welcome, Jenny! I hope you thoroughly enjoy your summer!
Some of our favorites include:
Vanilla pops – vanilla yogurt, vanilla soy milk (I’m going to try almond milk next time though) and a bit of honey blended and frozen in Dixie cups with Popsicle sticks stuck in part of the way through the freezing process.
Yogurt parfaits
Apple nachos
Fruit salad
Muffin tin snacks – cucumber slices, carrot sticks, fruit etc and dips in a 6 cup muffin tin
Thanks for more ideas, Ruth…I’m looking forward to trying the bananas with cinnamon and honey, and the cucumber cups
Great ideas, Shannon. You got me drooling!
Will try the vanilla pops with coconut milk!
I love your ideas, especially rotating the snack “chef”. I think my kids would to do that. I think my readers would really enjoy your list as well, so I’ll share it on FB. Thanks for the great ideas!
Great post! Thanks for the snack ideas and encouragement to having healthy homemade options on hand.
Thanks, Elizabeth Ann!
I’m inspired! Thanks!!!
I’m inspired! Thanks!!! Love the ideas.
Care to post or email the trail mix recipe?
Well, Beth, it’s really just whatever we have on hand! This particular batch had pecans, almonds, dried cranberries, goldfish. Usually we add dried coconut and chocolate/carob chips if we don’t use goldfish!
yogurt pulled from the freezer. has the consistency of ice cream and when it served in individual cups on a hot day, its even better than the sugary stuff! but it does melt fast, so you gotta eat it quickly (like we ever have that problem around here!
That’s a great idea, Chelsea. Will add that to our summer menu!
Ruth! These are awesome, I am passing them on to my sister, she has three under the age of 10! I think Madelynn would dig some of these too, we do a couple already, thanks for sharing these with us!!!
What a handsome boy!
(I hope to link up later today for Gracelaced, it’s been a while, life for me has been unpredictable)
I’ve missed you, Gina! Thanks for passing along the post…hopefully it will be useful to your sis! I hope you are having a lovely summer!