Snack Attack

I have a hard time getting my kids to eat healthy snacks. Technically, it is me that has a hard time putting out a healthy and easy snack. It just seems so time consuming, and much easier to just unwrap a granola bar.

Last Sunday I started "Snack Bags". So far the system is working INCREDIBLY well, I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier.

I took a box of the small size snack bags (the ones that zip, not the ones for sandwiches) and our haul of produce and snacky type items I had purchased that day. Then I set to dividing it all up.

Here are some examples of our snack bags:

-3 or 4 carrot sticks, a few broccoli trees, a few cucumber slices
-A handful of grapes, 1/4 of a sliced peach, kiwi chunks
-2 slices of cheese, a handful of grapes
-1/2 of a sliced apple (A little bit of lemon juice to avoid brownness), cucumber slices
-5 ritz crackers, 2 cheese slices
-A scoop of dry cereal
-2 graham crackers, 1/2 a banana

And on and on. Together, Chloe and I cleared 1/2 of a shelf in the fridge and filled it with the snack bags. She had a great time helping me prepare them too.

Throughout the week, when it is time for a snack, both girls can grab a bag then sit down and eat. I can also snag a snack bag on my way out the door for school. No clean up, no preparation, no fuss, no junk. Although I did throw in a couple of "special" bags which aren't the healthiest, but once those are gone they are gone. I think this will help Chloe learn the value of eating healthy and having an occasional treat.

This was a bit time consuming when I put them together last Sunday. But I just tried to remember it will foster a bit of independence in Chloe (since she can get her own snacks now) and will eliminate me giving them junk because I am too tired to cut up fresh veggies. We are also reusing the snack bags, I just give them a quick rinse and put them aside for next week.