Wednesday
May212008
SNACKS: What do you feed a hungry crowd?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 09:28AM
(AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION REQUIRED -- SEE BELOW!)
With Summer Break fast-approaching (god help us all!), one of the many issues and concerns will be groceries -- and lots of 'em, to feed hungry kids-at-home and all their friends.
My Mom Blogger-friend, Neena at Parenting Tips at NeenMachine.com - Parenting Tips for Busy Moms and Families, mentioned the bugger-boo of healthy snacking on her blog recently:
Our favorite, easy, healthy-ish snacks are:
(Well, I guess ice cream would probably have to be above #1.)
1. Fresh Strawberries (washed & cut, of course)
2. Fresh Watermelon
3. Baby Carrots
4. Peanut Butter & Crackers
5. Cheese & Crackers
My little one is going through a hot chocolate & popcorn phase, which will probably last through 90-degree weather (he's just like that). He also goes through fresh or frozen blueberries and little green apples like you wouldn't believe (usually not together). He's a huge Cheese Nips fan, too. (I know, that's not so good.)
I will also admit to the popularity of CHIPS in the house, potato chips and Dorito's chips, and cookies, on occasion. I will buy those Nabisco "snack trays" with the individual bags of goodies, when they are Buy One Get One FREE at Publix...nobody here is perfect!
While we're on that topic, do you remember what we used to snack on when we were kids? I know I must have enjoyed healthy snacks at some time in my childhood, but I remember most a whole lot of Pop-Tarts, Hostess Ding Dongs and those chocolate cupcakes with the squiggly white line on the top and the whipped cream in the middle...I'll still buy Pop-Tarts, the old classics, Cinnamon and Cherry, but you just can't buy the Hostess cakes anymore -- they've got this paper-thin little crust of frosting or chocolate now and it's just ruined the whole experience. Oh, now look there, I have digressed, once again.
So the question is, snack-providing moms and dads:
What do you feed your hungry crowd?
Please post a comment below, or email me at sherri@rebelhousewife.com.
In preparation for summer, it would be great to have some fresh ideas, wouldn't it?!
With Summer Break fast-approaching (god help us all!), one of the many issues and concerns will be groceries -- and lots of 'em, to feed hungry kids-at-home and all their friends.
My Mom Blogger-friend, Neena at Parenting Tips at NeenMachine.com - Parenting Tips for Busy Moms and Families, mentioned the bugger-boo of healthy snacking on her blog recently:
My kids love to snack. They are always hungry. And being the good mom that I am I buy lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains - stuff that is good for them. Always with the best intentions. I walk through the grocery store with visions of baking healthy muffins and oatmeal cookies, tossing up delicious salads and blending frosty smoothies - all chock full of nutrition and “good” calories. Ha!
I arrive home from the store with bags (reusable, of course) full of healthy snacks - or actually raw materials that have the potential to become healthy snacks - no, really, let’s just call it bags full of work to do. It’s true, the healthiest foods take time to prepare. Pre-packaged snacks are often not as nutritionally sound as foods that take some time to get from fridge to table.
And more often than not, my good intentions go awry when one (or two, or three) week(s) later, I pull out some unrecognizable fruit or vegetable out of my produce drawer.
So now I am on a mission to provide healthy snacks for kids and reduce food spoilage as well. I have come up with a simple one, two method that does take time, but not as much as my original ambitions...read the rest!
Our favorite, easy, healthy-ish snacks are:
(Well, I guess ice cream would probably have to be above #1.)
1. Fresh Strawberries (washed & cut, of course)
2. Fresh Watermelon
3. Baby Carrots
4. Peanut Butter & Crackers
5. Cheese & Crackers
My little one is going through a hot chocolate & popcorn phase, which will probably last through 90-degree weather (he's just like that). He also goes through fresh or frozen blueberries and little green apples like you wouldn't believe (usually not together). He's a huge Cheese Nips fan, too. (I know, that's not so good.)
I will also admit to the popularity of CHIPS in the house, potato chips and Dorito's chips, and cookies, on occasion. I will buy those Nabisco "snack trays" with the individual bags of goodies, when they are Buy One Get One FREE at Publix...nobody here is perfect!
While we're on that topic, do you remember what we used to snack on when we were kids? I know I must have enjoyed healthy snacks at some time in my childhood, but I remember most a whole lot of Pop-Tarts, Hostess Ding Dongs and those chocolate cupcakes with the squiggly white line on the top and the whipped cream in the middle...I'll still buy Pop-Tarts, the old classics, Cinnamon and Cherry, but you just can't buy the Hostess cakes anymore -- they've got this paper-thin little crust of frosting or chocolate now and it's just ruined the whole experience. Oh, now look there, I have digressed, once again.
So the question is, snack-providing moms and dads:
What do you feed your hungry crowd?
Please post a comment below, or email me at sherri@rebelhousewife.com.
In preparation for summer, it would be great to have some fresh ideas, wouldn't it?!
Reader Comments (1)
Thanks for the mention! And you are right, I don't recall as much wholesome food in my youth - perhaps it is just the quantity that has changed. Your list of healthy snacks is a good one. It's probably not a bad idea to post something like that in the kitchen as a reminder of how to answer the "what is there to eat?" question.