Summer Snacks for Busy Kids

Summer is awesome. I get to hang out with my kids, swim, write, run, read, and…try to figure out what to feed them. Snack time is so hard for me. During the school year, my kids eat breakfast, lunch, a snack, and then dinner, but in the summer, I swear they want to eat every ½ an hour. It is difficult to keep up with two huge boys and a growing girl. My oldest kids are to the beautiful age where they will eat anything I put in front of them with few exceptions. My daughter, however, is “No” before “Yes” to any food she hasn’t tried. It’s super frustrating, but we are battling through.

In the summer, I am constantly searching for the perfect snacks. I feel HUGE mom guilt for frequently giving them gummy snacks, chocolate granola bars, and fruit trapped in Jello. Therefore, I have made a list of snacks that could make any child smile, plus these are approved by my youngest, so anyone should like them.

Yogurt Smoothies

Whenever I concoct the perfect smoothie, I feel like a hero. I can hide veggies in them, celebrate the fruit my children are getting, and feel great about the protein from yogurt. Here is our favorite smoothie recipe:

• 1 cup Greek Gods Honey Vanilla or Greek Gods Honey Strawberry yogurt. (You’ll never eat another brand of yogurt and most stores carry it.)
• 1 cup orange juice
• Two tablespoons honey
• A handful of spinach or kale
• 1 cup (or more) frozen strawberries or blueberries

Mix in a blender until smooth. Serve to your babies. I have to triple this recipe for my three hungry kids.

Fruit Kabobs

• 3 bananas
• 1 pkg of fresh strawberries
• 1 pineapple
• 1 pkg of fresh blueberries
• 1 pkg of fresh raspberries
• 1 pkg wooden kabob skewers

These kabob snacks (or sides) are so much better than simply putting fruit on a plate, because everything is better on a stick. After slicing the fruit, poke them onto a skewer or for more activity let the kids assemble their own. This snack is fun and incredibly healthy. To add a kick, drizzle honey and lime over the fruits. Yum! My daughter and son like making special patterns.

Meat and Cheese Grab-n-Go’s

• 1 tube of  salami
• 1 block of your favorite cheese or string cheese
• Goldfish, crackers, or almonds.
• Quart size Ziploc baggies

Slice the salami and cheese (if using a block of yum yum dairy). Next assemble baggies of salami and cheese with approximately ½ cup of crackers OR goldfish OR almonds (Or all three). Kids can snack on these at the pool, on the beach or between ball games. This type of snack is easy to pack, and it won’t weigh kids down like a heavy sandwich or concession stand  hot dog.

Veggie Bites

• 1 celery
• 1 pkg carrots
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red pepper

Cut up your veggies, but make the pieces super small and able to be eaten in one bite. My kids love popping mini pieces of celery and carrots. Veggies will get eaten like potato chips in my household if they are a little smaller. Having baggies of these already made makes the grab and go a breeze.

I still love our staples of cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, pistachios, mixed nuts, and yogurt, but sometimes it’s fun to get creative in the quest to provide healthy snacks. I have no idea how my kids survive 8 hours of school with only three meals a day, but their hunger is intensified in the summer. These snacks keep us happy and full.

What are your go-to summer snacks?