Hi! I’m Jules, and I write about life, sweet and savory, at Pancakes and French Fries. Like life, Pancakes and French Fries has a little bit of everything. I write about marriage and motherhood. I write about my home, and how I’m trying to purge anything I don’t know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. I write about books and host a monthly book club full of readers as obsessed with reading as I am. Finally, I write about my struggle with food, and tangentially related to that, share recipes. Speaking of food and recipes, that’s what I’m doing here today. We’re going to talk snacks.
After school snacks, if we are going to get specific.
You should know upfront that I don’t cut sandwiches into pirate ships and give them cheddar cheese sails. I don’t give food eyeballs and not once have I turned a floret of broccoli into a tree. I might do that on special occasions, but not on a Tuesday 20 minutes before we have to leave for soccer practice. I give my boys snacks that are healthy, no-cook, and easy to make. I give them something I would want to eat, because parents and care-providers need snacks, too.
Here are our favorites.
Photo Credit: Pancakes and French Fries
Long time readers know my food frequently ends up looking like a Dutch still life. That’s the risk you take playing with natural food, I suppose. Not pictured here are some quickly sliced veggies and dips, but you get the idea. Put a tray out on the counter with a protein, a fat, a vegetable, a fruit, and a grain. It can’t get any easier! (Yes, it can. Leave everything in the packaging and cleanup is nonexistent.)
Photo Credit: Pancakes and French Fries
Yogurt cups are another snack you can make ahead of time, depending on the ingredients. Simply layer yogurt in a small bowl or jar with something sweet and something crunchy. I like fruits and nuts, but I’ve used Cheerios and honey in the past. This is a sugar-free Clementine and Date Cup, but if your children don’t like plain Greek yogurt, try it with sweetened vanilla yogurt instead.
Photo Credit: Pancakes and French Fries
Serving peanut butter with apples and celery will give you a grand total of zero creativity points, but there’s a reason it’s a classic snack. Kids—and adults—love the salty-sweet combo. For bonus points, try serving it with some of the new peanut butters that are out now. I’m obsessed with Sunland’s Banana Peanut Butter Spread.
Photo Credit: Pancakes and French Fries
I know the calendar says school starts in the fall, but where I live the heat is only just beginning. When the kids come home too hot to eat, I give them all-fruit popsicles and a handful of nuts. You can buy the popsicles or try making one of the 3,000 recipes available online.
Photo Credit: Pancakes and French Fries
Who doesn’t want chips and dip as a snack? No one, that’s who. Texas Caviar is a longtime family favorite. We have it for snack with chips or eat it straight out of an avocado half for lunch. If it’s really hot, we’ll eat it for dinner as a cool and light entrée with some vegetables on the side.
Looking for more snacks? I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to them—even those cute ones that take up time I don’t always have. What can I say? I’m a sucker, and the kids love a little something different every now and then.
- Jules
What a helpful and beautiful post! My son is not quite two, and we’re dealing with some pretty severe food allergies, but he’s a fantastic eater and never once have I had to cut his food into playful shapes to coerce him to eat his veggies and fruits {perhaps i’m lucky?}. i’m not opposed to pirate-ship sandwiches, but it is wonderful when kids will eat food that looks, well, like food. Thank you for the ideas!
Thanks, Danika. My sons had severe allergies, too. Luckily, they outgrew them. (nuts and eggs)
I like to make the fun-shaped food for special occasions. Last Halloween I made hotdogs that looked like mummies! The rest of the time, though, I keep it super simple and I refuse to hide vegetables or healthy ingredients into “junk” food.
I love these ideas! Thanks!
Thanks for stopping by, Melissa!
Good stuff! I have been trying to make a point of not just throwing a handful of pretzels at the kids, and — like all things I “make a point” of — immediately started drawing a complete blank. Thanks for the jumpstart!
I guilty of the same thing, Meg. I think the trick is to have some stuff already planned out (maybe on a saran wrapped platter in the fridge) so that when everyone comes home, you just have to whip it out. I’m going to try it this year. Wish me luck!
Love that there is no processed food in sight – exactly the way we like it in our house too (and beautiful photos too!)
Thanks, Cate! All the “cool kids” at school eat luncheables, and this is my response to my kids wanting some of the same.
Just popped over here to support one of my favorite bloggers! Thanks for the good reminder that healthy snacks are the best!
Thanks, Laura!
Mmm . . . those photos are making me hungry! Thanks for the great ideas!
I know, with all this heat we are having, the Popsicles sound perfect.
Thanks for sharing these ideas. My whole family would like these snacks too. I especially like the spread in the first picture. That’s my kind of party!
We actually had that spread for dinner on the day I took the photograph!
Snack and lunch planning are a big item for me right now so I took a look from Pancakes & French Fires. Always appreciate new ideas or reminders of what I have forgotten! So glad to hear you do not cut food into cute shapes. I wonder where those moms get the time for that! I sure don’t have that except for very special occasions.
These are great snack ideas! Thank you!