It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over! In a week, our almost 2 year old will be starting school! This will be my first time packing school snacks/lunches and I wanted to share my ideas for healthy homemade options that you can pack for your own kiddos. It can feel daunting to pack snacks and meals for your kids – and the easy option is to throw in some packaged foods that you know your kids will love. The issue here is that these foods are highly processed and often include quite a bit of sugar, refined flours, and oils.
While your kids are at school, you want them to feel their best so they can enjoy their time learning and playing. Preparing homemade foods MOST of the time can allow your kids to feel and do their best while at school. Trust me, you can still prep homemade options without it being too time consuming!
Egg/banana/oat flour pancakes and fruit for snack!
Below are a handful of my favorite homemade snacks/meals that you can put together for your kids. I recommend the bento box lunch/snack boxes as they create fun variety for your kids! This might be a page to bookmark!
Savory Ideas:
Veggies and Hummus (bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, celery, jicama, snap peas)
Apple Slices with a sprinkle of Cinnamon
Turkey and Cheese Pinwheel Wraps (on Whole Wheat wraps)
Veggie and Hummus Pinwheel Wraps (on Whole Wheat wraps)
Hard Boiled Eggs
Edamame
Brown Rice or Whole Wheat pasta with butter
Meatballs (these are baked and full of veggies too)
Whole Wheat Bagel and cream cheese (add in some cucumber or tomatoes too!)
Frittatas or Egg “muffins” (like these)
Cheese quesadillas (add in chicken, spinach, etc.. )
Sunbutter/jelly pinwheels, fruits/veggies, cheese stick for lunch!
On the Sweeter Side:
Overnight Oats (here is one to try)
Sunbutter Energy Balls (here’s a great recipe)
Banana Pancakes (Try adding in spinach like this one!)
Homemade Yogurt Parfait (some inspiration!)
Sunbutter Rice Cake Sandwiches (I love these thin rice crackers)
Sunbutter and Jelly Sandwiches
Homemade Granola Bars (this is a simple one!)
Fresh Fruit
Chia Seed Pudding (here is one to try)
Apple Slices with a sprinkle of Cinnamon
Strawberries and Chocolate Sunbutter (this chocolate sunbutter tastes decadent but has only 4g of sugar per serving!)
It’s likely you will supplement your meals with some packaged products, and that is fine! My suggestion is to always look for those with few ingredients (and ones that you recognize) and that are low in sugar! For example, string cheese, applesauce, popcorn, cottage cheese, Mary’s Seed Crackers, Bare Snacks, etc…
