Leslie's children are almost 8, 4 1/2, and 2, and they are always hungry. To make things easier for the kids, she has established a snack box in her pantry and in her refrigerator. The snacks are healthy and in child-size portions. The kids know that they can get something when they need it, and mom knows they are choosing something healthy. These boxes also come in handy for packing lunches during the public school year.
A clear plastic shoebox is used for the snack boxes. Make sure the box in the refrigerator is at child level.
Some ideas for the refrigerator snack box
baby carrots and ranch dip
mozzarella string cheese or cubes of cheddar
yogurt cups or sticks (Gogurt)
small bags of leftovers such as homemade chicken nuggets and bean burritos, or a slice of cold pizza
washed strawberries
mixed fruit (pineapple chunks, watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes)
celery sticks, or celery sticks and peanut butter sold in the store
cucumber slices
pepperoni slices or hard salami and cheese cubes
pudding--make sure that the pudding doesn't contain trans fats
100% juice boxes--4 oz
small water bottles
In the pantry, larger boxes or bags of dry snacks are portioned into individual ziploc snack bags.
Some ideas for pantry snack box:
bags of Goldfish crackers, Triscuits, or Wheat Thins
cups of apple sauce, especially sugar-free berry applesauce
pretzels
Chex Mix
peanuts
craisins
raisins, small bags or small boxes
homemade snack mix (usually the end of boxes of dried cereal, prezels, Goldfish, peanuts, maybe a few semi-sweet chocolate chips)
fruit leather
Fritos
dried apricots
sesame sticks (from the bulk section of the store)
shelled sunflower seeds (from the bulk section)
pumpkin seeds (tamari-flavored are great in the bulk section)
