Episode 94 Portable Snacks
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Episode 94 Portable Snacks
School may look weird this year for many of us, but many of our kids still have activities. I know that our family still needs to get out of the house and that often means packing snacks.
Our family has a rule that when you get in the car you take a water bottle. Our favorite are the simple modern tumblers and water bottles. My sister had younger kids and really likes the kid’s Yeti water bottles because they have a handle, are dishwasher safe, and are super rugged.
When it comes to portable snacks, you can go with pre-packaged snacks. There is a time and place for just buying individual packages, but today we are going to focus on thinks you package yourself. I often wish I was the parent who has the cute reusable snack bags, but I’m not. I use a combination of plastic baggies. I prefer the fold top for most items, but do use zip top baggies too. My favorite reusable snack containers are the ½ cup round containers by GLAD. I haven’t been able to find them in my local stores, but have found them on Amazon. Check your local store. If they have them the containers are usually by the baggies and plastic wrap.
There are five basic snack categories:
Fruit
Veggies
Meaty/Higher Protein
Salty
Sweet
Fruit:
Cut up Apples -If you worry about them turning brown, dip them in a cup of water with a splash of lemon juice. The acid from the lemon juice will keep them from browning.)
Grapes -I like to wash and cut them into small serving size clusters.
Oranges/Cuties – My kids are big enough to peel them, but if your kids are little, you may want to peel the oranges and put them in a container.
Berries- Fresh or frozen berries are a favorite around our house. They tend to get squashed in biggies so I like to put them in a container.
Dried Fruit – I have found dried fruit does not make a very satisfying snack without adding something to it. I like to make my own “Trail Mix” with dried fruit, nuts, seeds, cereals, and sometimes chocolate. (Avoid chocolate in the summer if you worry about melting.)
GORP- Good Old Raisins and Peanuts – My mom would mix white and dark raisins, dry roasted peanuts, and sunflower seeds for a salty-sweet snack that fills you up.
Veggies
Baby Carrots – The easiest veggie ever. They are pre-washed and cut and all you do is open a bag.
Carrot Sticks – My kids prefer the taste and texture of carrot sticks that I cut from organic carrots. I like to keep cut up carrots in the refrigerator at all times.
Celery Sticks
Cucumber slices
Mini sweet peppers
Cut up Bell Peppers – My family prefers red, yellow, or orange over green. They seem to be less bitter.
Frozen Veggies – When my kids were little, they would eat defrosted peas and carrots. You can buy them in a blend in the frozen veggie section of the grocery store. Just put the bag in the refrigerator and let them defrost. Serve cold. This works really well for kids who do not prefer cooked veggies.
Smoothie Pops – My kids are not big smoothie fans, but if yours like smoothies, you can put them in silicone molds and they can eat them as popsicles.
Meaty/Protein
Hummus – You can buy single serving hummus cups or make your own and put them in single serving containers and use veggie sticks for dipping.
Peanut Butter- Great with crackers or my kids like to dip carrot or celery sticks in peanut butter.
Cheese – Cheese sticks, sliced cheese, cream cheese mixed with herbs or ranch dressing mix.
Summer Sausage
Deli Meat – cut up or rolled up
Salty
Popcorn – We like to pop plain kernels in brown paper lunch sacks in the microwave.
Party Mix – This is a special treat in our house.
Homemade Cheese Crackers – These are a special treat too.
Salty Snack Mix – I like to make mini mixes with all sorts of different things. Veggie straws, pirate’s booty, pretzels, goldfish, cereal etc. You can mix anything you have on hand. It gives different flavors and textures.
Sweet
Brownie Batter Hummus – Chocolate hummus that I like to serve with graham crackers or apple slices.
Granola – I have two recipes. Chocolate Almond Granola and Chai Spiced Granola
Breakfast Cookies – These are super filling. I like to make a big batch and keep them in the freezer for quick snacks. Pumpkin Spice Breakfast Cookies and Breakfast Cookies (made with banana)
Nutty Energy Bars – These are like a homemade larabar, but they have more nuts.
Graham Crackers
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