My children each eat three meals and two snacks a day. Even with the eldest two at school that works out as 32 snacks I need to provide each week. I was struggling to keep on top of stocking the snacks, and ensuring that they make healthy choices, so I decided to try a new system. It’s worked out brilliantly so I’m sharing it with you. Basically I’ve made a bag which is stocked with snacks and the children are allowed to choose from it for themselves every snack time.
How to stock a healthy snack bag:
Firstly I bought a medium sized zip up food bag. It’s easy for the children to get out of the cupboard for themselves. I also bought lots of small Tupperwares for holding the healthy snacks.
Next I decided what snacks I wanted my children to be eating. What my children eat is very important to me, as I think it affects health, mood and energy levels. So I wanted everything to be healthy, but also appealing to the children. I decided on small flavoured rice cakes, which you can buy in the baby food section at the supermarket. I also chose cereal bars, I buy Organix bars as they don’t contain any sugar. I am also going to offer a dried fruit option, so either raisons, apricots, mango, pineapple etc or dried fruit snacks like roll ups.
Next I took the snacks and divided them into small portions. So for example I took the bags of rice cakes and put four in each of my small tupperwares. I also filled tiny pots with raisons.
So I buy a weeks worth of healthy snacks with my weekly supermarket shop. Spend ten mins or so dividing them up and fill the snack bag which holds about four days worth, so needs restocking once a week.
This is a really great solution to making sure I always have something healthy in the house for the children to snack on. It’s also portable since it’s a bag with a strap so when we go out for the day we can just grab it and we’ll always have something on us when they get hungry. I’m really happy with our snack bag, and I hope this post has been useful for you too.
My boys love dried fruit in their packs too. Them and oat bars. Our school has a strict no chocolate rule and I think it’s great. My boys have always loved fruit but when my eldest sat next to children with sweets in their lunches I would forever have him moaning at me for them in his.
This is a really fab idea and I am drooling at those cute coloured pots there too! x
Thanks, glad I’m not the only who gets excited by colourful Tupperware.
What a clever idea. I’m forever digging for snacks in the kitchen cupboard and this is fab as you can quickly grab something for when you are out about or give them the choice when you are at home…
Exactly, hope it proves useful for you.
Might give this a go as they keep going to the kitchen looking for themselves as soon as my back us turned!
its a really good idea. my two used to adore apple rice cakes and then I stopped buying them for about a year i guess and now, when I thought they would make a great snack for B at school, they turn their noses up at them! Hummph but i will keep trying!
Love your bag too x
This is a great idea! I will be looking to do something similar when my son is older. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I am used to carrying snacks around as a mummy to a little one with allergies it’s safer to make sure you have them with you than risk not finding suitable things when out.
Really wish there had been someone to handle snacks in this house today, I’ve had to deal with screaming all day (ok so I lie there was 1hour nap and 10minutes when older son manged to convince littlest to eat a bread stick) because my 1year old wanted biscuits and nothing else and even though I woke up with a cold and a headache which really could have done without the noise all day I still haven’t given in.
Must admit now that I really can’t wait for hubby to get home now!