Hey Sweet Shoppers, Keely here today and I’m talking snacks. We all have to eat, right? In our house everyone is on different schedules, lunches can be really early or really late, workdays for my husband are between 14 and 18 hours long.  I confess,even  our “regular” dinner time can vary. Snacks have become important. I try to view food as tasty fuel, we want it to taste good but I try to keep things fairly healthy too.

Veggies & Fruits
I realized that my kids will eat a ton of vegetables and fruit, on their own, as long as it’s visible, and they don’t have to do any work. I’ll admit I’ve given in on this one. I use clear lidded bowls and keep washed, prepped veggies and fruit, in sight, in the fridge. I know some people have issues with their kids not eating vegetables, I’ll be honest, overall, my kids love them. Sometimes it’s just a matter of letting something show up, or trying it in another form. One likes spinach raw, but not cooked, the other is the same with onions. Something as small as sprinkling some cinnamon on an apple can make a difference.
Our staples: Carrots, Celery, Jicama, Cauliflower, Broccolli, Bell Pepper, Edemame Zucchini, Mushrooms,Radishes, Grape or Cherry tomatoes….I try to use what’s in season and looks good

Dips. I Dip, You Dip, We Dip…..yeah, the family likes dips. We eat a lot of salads so,         dressings too.
Our staples: Hummus, Bean Dip, Salsa, Pumpkin Butter, Apple Butter. Fruit Dip, Salad Dressing
Good With: above mentioned veggies, tortilla, tortilla chips, whole grain crackers, fruit,
I make a lot of these things myself and they’re as good, if not better, than what you can get in the store. You control the ingredients and they’re cheap. I tell you this because I hate to cook and this stuff is so easy and so much better that the pay off, even for someone like me, is worth it. It’s truly mostly a matter of toss in this, add a bit of that, mix. *

And along those lines, I think it’s worth it to do your own…Popcorn/Chex Style/Granola/Trail Mix.
I make my own popcorn on the stove, it really doesn’t take any more time than doing it in the microwave and I can control the oil (no additives either). Air poppers are good too.

Season with: sea salt, garlic, curry, Chinese five spice, nutritional yeast (tastes like cheese), whatever floats your boat. Chex style mix is the same, as is granola/trail mix. By doing your own you control the sugar,fat and contents.

Muffins: I have on child in particular that loves muffins. Muffins are really about the easiest thing you can bake and they are easy to modify. I make large batches and freeze them. The last few time I’ve made regular size and mini-muffin versions. The mini-muffins, are great for snacks or the lunch box.

Pinwheels: Another fave. Take a tortilla,wrap,etc., layer with your choosing of (cream cheese [seasoned or not], hummus,bean dip,salsa,cheese, lunch meat, spinach, lettuce, bean sprouts, avacado, etc.) Roll and slice.

Random: olives, pickles, pickled okra ,string cheese, sunflower seeds, toasted edamame, pumpkin seeds

*If you need recipes PM me. I’m horrible about keeping track of origins or modifications, so if you need one, I’ll at minimum point you in the right direction.