You know what is un-fun? Kids asking for a snack every other minute all summer long. I knew that my happy-fun-level would require me to find a solution to this. I knew the solution had to go beyond “NO! STOP ASKING ME ALL THE TIME!!!”
I knew the solution was to put them in charge of their own snacks.
I shuddered when I realized it. I saw spilled milk on the counter, cereal crumbles scattered all over the floor, and candy wrappers throughout the house. This endeavor could not go undirected.
So, modifying what they do at Children’s House Montessori, where my daughter attended school, I came up with…The Great Snack List! The Snack List is posted on the fridge for the kids to read and select a snack for themselves. They are allowed to choose one snack in the morning after 10 am, and two snacks in the afternoon after 3 pm. The snacks must be eaten at the counter in the kitchen and they must clean up after themselves. The theory is perfect, the reality less so, but…we’re getting there.
Easy, healthy snacks seem complicated most of the time. And fancy packaged snacks from the health food aisle seem expensive. And a huge bag of baby carrots seems unappealing after five days. I would like to add to this snack list, but you take one step at a time. Even if it means you crush a few goldfish crackers on the way. So far, the kids are still excited about snack time and so far they haven’t driven me crazy asking for a snack all the time. And I call that FUN.
In the cupboard, there are a variety of snacks — crackers, pretzels, nuts, GORP, rice cakes — and a scoop that they can use to dish themselves up.
In the fridge, there are pre-cut or “baby” foods so they can easily take the directed quantity.
Here is the do-it-yourself healthy kid snacks list — a (P) tells them it is a snack that has protein — the number indicates the amount they may have:
Morning snacks – 1 after 10 am
Apple
Banana
Baby carrots – 15
Cucumber slices – 15
Sugar snap peas – 10
Grapes – 1 bunch
Strawberries – 8
Melon chunks – 10
Mini tomatoes – 10
Frozen grapes – 15
Celery stick with PB and raisins (P) – 6
Hard boiled egg (P)
Hummus and chips, carrots or pepper (P) – 10
Shelled peanuts (P) – 1 scoop
Sunflower seeds (P) – 1 scoop
GORP – 1 scoop
Rice cake with PB (P) – 1
Roasted chickpea (P) – 1 scoop
Afternoon snack – 2 after 3 pm
Anything from morning snacks, and –
Yogurt (P) – 1 scoop
Cheese stick (P)
Pistachios (P) – 1 scoop
Peanut butter sandwich (P) – half
Crackers – 1 scoop
Pretzels – 1 scoop
So what are some healthy, easy snacks you’d add to this?
