No matter what I do or how many times I feed them my kids always want to be in the kitchen. When I come home from the grocery store I have to take cover because I am attacked at the door to see what food I have purchased. One might think it I just returned home from Toy R Us instead of the grocery store by their reaction. My kids are only 7, 4, 2 and 1, yet they seem to eat non-stop. I am very afraid of what it will be like once they are in high school.
I have always filled the bottom drawer of the refrigerator with string cheese, applesauce and yogurt. That way the kids had healthy snacks they could grab. But lately before they have are finished eating a snack they are asking for another. Now I am beginning to wonder are they really hungry or just bored. I find it rather interesting that if they are in the middle of a video game or watching a movie they can last more than an hour without eating. But if I turn off the tv they are immediately starving. Of course I realize they are growing kids but sometimes I think they are just eating to make sure their sibling doesn’t get the last favorite snack.
I will admit that I have a few pre-packaged foods on hand for those days that we are running out to the karate studio. But I try to keep those at a minimum. I thought it was time to get creative. I found some fun snack ideas that would be easy for the kids to help me prepare that were healthy too. This kept them busy for a little while and I didn’t have to hear “Can I have a snack?” for the hundredth time.
All my kids love bananas. So we dipped the bananas in yogurt then placed them in the freezer. They thought this was the greatest idea ever. The next day we made kabobs by placing cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks. I have learned with 3 boys in the house everything can be turned into a sword or light saber. Half of the pretzels got broken during the sword fights. But they were happy to eat the broken pieces. Tomorrow we will be filling waffle cones with fruit and putting yogurt on the top. The boys are having way too much fun with these little snack projects. Do you have a favorite snack that you make with your kids?
Marisa 4.0 
Nov 29, 2011 @ 21:24:57
Send ’em outside to play! 🙂
Dec 03, 2011 @ 07:20:00
My kiddo loves sandwiches. I’ve got a bunch of cookie cutters and I let him choose which shape he’d like his sandwich to come in. It’s always fun to do. Of course after, we eat the left over parts too 🙂
Dec 08, 2011 @ 21:36:05
Oh I need to get out my cookie cutters. I have one child that refuses to eat the crust. I am sure he would love to cut out his sandwich. Then my 2 year old will eat the leftover parts because he eats anything. Ha ha!
Dec 05, 2011 @ 00:32:34
I love how you got the kids involved in making the snacks. I find that when I get mine involved in making the snack it feeds not only their hunger for food but their hunger for attention from me. Thanks for a great post! I always get some great ideas from you.
Dec 05, 2011 @ 14:53:47
I love the bananas with yogurt idea! My daughter asks for a popsicle every 10 minutes and I am always trying to find different snacks that she can have instead. Some healthy snacks she likes are veggies with dip/hummus, fresh fruit, dried fruit (I get it in giant bags at the health food store), and mixed nuts (I guess I should get unsalted but I get lightly salted). When I’m lazy, I just give her Goldfish, pretzels, or a piece of cheese or lunch meat lol. Also, a good trick is to have them eat their meals in 2 or 3 parts. That way, less snacks. =) Someone recently told me that tip and I love it!
Dec 08, 2011 @ 18:59:00
Marisa, I can so identify with this post. My kids (5 and 2) always want to eat too! I stock healthy foods as well so they have something good to choose from. They love fresh fruits (especially apples dipped in peanut butter), cheese, and popcorn as snacks. I love your note about your boys turning everything into a sword or light saber. My little boy turns everything into drum sticks. 🙂