Our term-time schedule is hectic and boy, do I feel ‘dumped in it’ after the school hols or even just a bank holiday long weekend! If it’s not an after-school club, there are swimming lessons, tutors, judo and dancing to name but a few! So, snacks at pick-up are essential to give them that energy boost that will get them through until tea time (healthy in a hurry main meals).
My kids have now gotten used to the fact that chocolate is not a snack! They occasionally have a whinge about another child getting a chocolate biscuit, but when K lectured her younger siblings on the reasons why (they were my words, coming out of her mouth), I knew that my persistence was beginning to pay off!! It is however, tricky to stick with the healthy, sugar free options when there are so many ready made products aimed at kids. These are the snacks that have been a hit with my lot and tick all the boxes for healthy eating with me too!
School pick-up snacks:
Generally, something savory and a piece of fruit:
- Bread sticks- Plain, whole wheat, sesame (sometimes with humous/ guacamole/ tomato dip)
- Mini cheddars
- Pop corn- Always cooked at home, it’s so quick, easy and cheap. Simply place 1 tbsp kernels in a saucepan over a medium heat and cover with a well-fitting (preferably glass) lid, wait, listen & watch! Once the popping slows down to one-at-a-time, take it off the heat- done!
- Small pot of nuts and seeds- though I’m paranoid about choking so would not allow these driving along.
- Mini salad pot- cucumber and carrot sticks (sometimes with dips) or olives and cherry tomatoes (halved)
- Dried fruits- raisins, apricots, figs, dates, sultanas (unsweetened)
Tip: Sultanas are a really cheap alternative to raisins! I buy a big bag and put them into pots myself and no ones noticed yet!! For more money-saving food ideas, check out Feeding the Family Frugally.
I also keep granola bars handy or homemade flapjacks/ oat biscuits (if I’ve had the time), mainly for bribery or reward!!
I’m lucky that my tribe all love fruit, so my issue is usually curbing the amount they eat, rather than encouraging them to eat more! However, if yours are not so keen, try chopping different fruit into bite sized chunks and either pop onto wooden skewers (we call them ‘fruit mix sticks’ and sometimes have as a dessert) or just in a pot, these are easier to eat and visually appealing. Alternatively………
- Our most recent idea (and best buy of 2015)- Nutribullet smoothies.
These are great as a snack and actually fill them up for a few hours. Plus, I usually add spinach or kale to them, which are two of the few veg that are harder to get them to eat.
Typical Nutribullet recipe:
Handful of spinach, banana, apple, pear, tablespoon of oats, milk (any). (That makes a large sized smoothie to share between three.)
The addition of oats, nuts and/ or seeds make the smoothie more filling, with slow-release energy, therefore avoiding the energy rush, then dip! For more smoothie ideas take a look at Healthy in a Hurry- Breakfast.
Snacks at Home:
- All of the above!
- Toasted pitta fingers with humous dip.
- Mashed banana on rye toast or crackers (Ryvita). Dark rye bread that you have to cut yourself works best, but any rye bread will do. Use up over-ripe bananas, no butter/ spread needed! You can also substitute the banana for avocado.
- Low fat cream cheese mixed with marmite, on toast. None of mine like cream cheese but mixed with marmite, it’s a winner!
- Chunks of fruit with natural greek yogurt and a sprinkling of seeds
I do try to avoid the ‘snack packs’ provided by various companies, aimed at our children. Many are now ‘organic’ and claim to be ‘sugar free’ or ‘natural sugar’, but they are just so expensive for what they are and are still usually really sweet, even if it is ‘natural’.
When you are in a hurry, can you still keep it healthy? What snacks do you give your children at school pick-up?
I am lucky that my two love fruit but they will choose a cookie or crisps over fruit. Our children must have healthy snacks at school and wednesday is fruit day. I like the idea of the pitta fingers. Thank you for linking up to #ablogginggoodtime ?
I wish I could get my eldest to eat healthy snacks! My youngest is so good for it but my eldest just wants to eat rubbish
I am a snack food junkie! #momsterslink
These are fantastic ideas – thank you for sharing! I do try to keep snacks healthy too, and I am lucky that my little man and I both love nuts, seeds, fruit etc. Daddy is a crisp fiend however, so I just need to convert him now! #momsterslink
Stealing these ideas and I will not be buying raisins anymore! Sultanas all the way.
#ablogginggoodtime
Some great ideas here. I’m always looking for snack ideas for my picky-eater grandchildren.
#fortheloveofBLOG
My daugher is only 19 months so hasn’t had many cakes / biscuits yet. So her ‘sweet’ treat is fruit. She can’t get enough of it so I have to try and encourage savoury snacks. I had forgotten about pitta and houmous as a snack. I think I’ll give that a try! #fortheloveofBLOG
Dried fruits and smoothies are our go-to! We drink smoothies so often, that I just keep the blender on the counter haha, it’s just constantly being used throughout the day. My son is sooooo obsessed with fruit, and I love it and really hope to encourage healthy eating habits as he grows. These are some great ideas-now I’m craving some homemade popcorn!! #KCACOLS
Mine eat well but inspiration can run dry and this post has given me lots of good ideas. Thank you! #fortheloveofBLOG
I am new to all of this school business but we have tennis and swimming lessons to get to afterwards now. Max loves dried fruit (the urban fruit ones). Great ideas for snacks here 🙂 #KCACOLS
Breadsticks and popcorn big favs here too #KCACOLS
This is a brilliant list thank you!
My kids LOVE fruit as well – especially apples, pears and oranges. They also love sultanas and raisins.
#kcacols
It is so important to teach our children the difference between a healthy snack and a might-look-healthy-but-is-not-healthy snack. My two are both older teens now, but I do notice that my perseverance paid off. I’m not saying they don’t enjoy not so good snacks, as they do, but we try to keep them for a Friday, but daughter will make a pan of pop corn for herself and sprinkle it with grated cheese. And mini wholegrain seeded sticks go down well too.
I’ve not eaten mashed banana on anything for years, but your photo has got me fancying some!
xx
I’m lucky that my little man loves fruit and veg but he’s very picky over everything else! I’m sure as he grows up and starts school next year this will change – I was very proud when we were out the other day. He said he was hungry, we popped into the shop to get something, he could have picked anything but he chose a fruit pot of grapes, blueberries and strawberries! I must be doing something right! 🙂 #fortheloveofblog
These are wonderful lists of ideas. I am happy to see that most of what I do is on them (particularly olives – my children are obsessed with them but I don’t know how healthy they are). I am lucky that my children like fruit so much too, so providing there is plenty in, snacking is easy. When I am feeling lazy I simply give raisins, breadsticks or rice cakes. I love the idea of mashed up banana though! #KCACOLS
My boy has been loving water melon slices straight from the fridge after school on warmer days. There are some great ideas here for me to try now that the weather is turning a bit cooler. Thanks for sharing on #fortheloveofBLOG x
Great ideas. A bag of crisps is so easy but I hate resorting to that because I know it is unhealthy. I’ll be trying some of these on my youngest.
Great ideas, awesome list! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday
My two will eat fruit after meals but for snacks they insist on unhealthy rubbish unfortunately x #KCACOLS
I think it’s so important to have lots of healthy snacks available. I always try and make sure I’ve got plenty of snacks for Taormina but I tend to forget to pack anything for me! x #KCACOLS
If I make a smoothie…it doesn’t matter what I put in there…spinach, kale, brussel sprouts, …as long as I squeeze in honey or agave syrup…my kids will eat it up. And right now they are all on different favorite veggies so I just make sure I have them in snack form. And I agree that popcorn is such a great snack in any household. Thanks for linking up with #momsterslink and I apologize for my delay in commenting :}
Awesome post!
Pingback:Victoria’s Sneaky Mango & Banana Smoothie – Buzymum