I was relieved when my kids reported they would need to bring their own snack to school each day this year.  I resolved to send freshness everyday, following Dr. Sears’ The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood list of amazingly nutritious, energy providing snacks – a complex carbohydrate with a protein.  I started with so many great ideas: ham and turkey roll-ups with cheese cubes, mini whole wheat bagels with cream cheese, tortillas with peanut butter, trail mix.  I even made peanut butter banana chocolate chip bread with whole wheat pastry flour.

One month in and I’m sorry to admit I’m fizzling, feeling like I’m under attack to come up with better and better ideas.  Seems like many of my “mom heroines” are as well.  I even had to send cheese popcorn in baggies one day (couldn’t find a single reusable container to put it in) because I was out of everything else.  I tried to justify that it has to be more nutritious than chips because popcorn=carb and cheese=protein, right?  Wrong.

Taking some time to think it through a bit, I came up with a few ideas to help simplify daily snack packing:

• GET ORGANIZED.  Keep one fridge drawer stocked with healthy snacks in large, reusable containers.  I use three rectangle containers: one for meat and cheese slices, one for prepped veggies, and one for homemade treats like banana bread.  This keeps them all in one place and easy to grab.  Keep another fridge drawer filled with lunch supplies (read Go Bento! for a new trend in easy, appetizing lunch production).  Do the same with your non-perishable snacks.  Pick a shelf and keep them together.  Whether this discourages or encourages late-night snacking is yet to be determined!
• GO BEYOND PRE-PACKAGED. Stock meats and cheeses, plus fruits and veggies.  Wash and prep fruits and veggies into the reusable containers right when you get home from the store.
• MAKE YOUR OWN MIX. You’ll be amazed at how making dry mixes ahead of time really comes in handy for making fresh, baked goods.  I have mixes ready for various banana breads and granola bars.  While the oven is preheating, I just pick a dry mix and add any perishable ingredients (like butter, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, yogurt, fruit or vegetables).  Much less daunting than starting from scratch!

I am looking forward to getting any other ideas from our clever readers, because it’s bad enough hearing the proverbial “What’s for Dinner” question every afternoon.  Together, we can all be ready for the morning rush out the door by knowing “What’s for Snack!”