Simplify Snacks, Save Time, Eat Healthier….and it is actually easy to do!
The non-stop fridge-digging and pantry-picking in my house of seven kids got so ridiculous at one point, that I had to start officially closing the kitchen for certain hours of the day. Seriously….the phrase “Kitchen Is Closed” probably came out of my mouth more than any other thing during those first couple months of lockdown in 2020. Surprisingly, the habit stuck and has brought some lasting calm to our kitchen chaos and all of us in our house seem to like it better that way now. We always keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter (usually bananas, apples, oranges). Those are available at all times, even when the kitchen is closed, for those ravenous ones who can’t last 2 hours without a snack. In addition, I have some easy healthy snack ideas that are easy to prep and keep on hand. I’m always on a quest to feed my crew as healthy as possible, as simply as possible, even though I don’t always live up to my ideals. We all feel better when we eat better. But it can be downright hard to figure out easy, healthy snack ideas when you have a million other things on your plate. Believe me, it can seem so much easier to stock up on crackers, chips, cookies, and sugary yogurts and be done with it. Been there, done that….still do way more than I’d like. Overall, I do like to stick with better-quality stuff as much as possible though. But because my brain is always on overdrive, and I tend to forget anything I don’t write down, I have my list written down and saved for me to refer back to when I can’t think beyond the junk food snacks. Even as a super busy work-at-home, homeschooling mom juggling a million things, I really don’t want to constantly rely on the goldfish crackers, animal crackers, granola bars, chips, cookies, gummies, or any of the multitude of highly processed, not really-food “foods” that are super easy to grab and go. Most of these items are not only void of any real nutrition, but they are full of additives and anti-nutrients that are harmful to health and well-being. Don’t let the label fool you…just because something is fortified with synthetic vitamins does not make it healthy!
How do busy moms feed their hungry people without filling them with junk?
Who has time to prepare wholesome, homemade snacks for all the hungry kiddos in our homes every day? Not me! Here’s my list of easy, healthy snack ideas that are totally manageable for busy moms to prep in advance and have on hand. Snacks don’t have to be anything fancy. They don’t have to be sweet and sugary either. Offering a protein snack helps keep tummies fuller for longer and helps to avoid the ups and downs in energy that come with sugary, carbohydrate snacks. These are all things that take very little preparation and can be easy grab-n-go throughout the week if prepped well.
- Raw veggies with dip (hummus, nut butter, etc.)
- Nut butter “pops” (almond butter, cashew butter, natural peanut butter on a spoon)
- In season fruit
- Unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top
- Nuts and dehydrated fruit
- Cheese slices
- Natural olives
- Leftover meat cut into chunks
- Natural deli meat
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Air-popped popcorn
- Chia seed pudding (crazy easy to make in the fridge)
- Plain yogurt with a drizzle of honey and fresh berries
- Avocado topped with salsa
- Healthy jerky or meat sticks
Does it work?
YES!! I have found that having a supply of these foods on hand and ready to go at any given time is an absolute necessity to avoid falling into the junk food all-the-time snack trap. This can easily be done by spending a little bit of time, once a week to prep snacks for the entire week. Things like chopping carrots, celery, and bell peppers into bite-sized sticks, making a batch of easy homemade hummus or veggie dip, cutting up any fruit that can be cut up in advance, pouring chia seeds in a jar with almond milk and a little sweetener and putting in the fridge. Here is a sample preparation for the items that need it. This should all take less than an hour and you’ll have snacks made and ready to go for the entire week.
- Slice cheese (or skip this and just buy pre-sliced or cheese sticks)
- Boil eggs and put back in fridge in a carton labeled “Hard Boiled” so the kids know where to find them.
- Wash and cut up any fruit that can be cut in advance, like melon. Most fruits should be kept whole until serving.
- Wash and cut up veggies like carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, bell peppers, etc.
- Make a simple hummus by tossing some garbanzo beans into a food processor. Add a splash of olive oil, some fresh garlic, a scoop or two of tahini, some salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings your children prefer. We love a single drop of doTERRA lemon essential oil in ours. (Ha! Now you see how I cook…a splash, a scoop, some of this, some of that.) Hummus is very adaptable. No need for a measured recipe…just add things to your taste preferences.
