Please tell me I am not the only one?!!? My kids come home from school staaaaarving! Like literally starving, as if they haven’t eaten in three days. I mean like a pack of hungry wolves starving. It’s literally down right scary!
So, I started sending bigger lunches. Now, for those of you who know me, you know that I send my kids to school with a heaping lunch. I’ve been teased by the teachers that I think my kid’s are truck drivers looking at the amount of food that I pack for them. The truth is, my kids are big sharers and they end up giving a lot of their lunch and snacks away to their friends. No matter how much I pack for them, they give it away. Although sometimes I feel like I am feeding half the class, instead of my kids, it’s the best feeling as a mom to know that they have big hearts. But, they were still getting into my car staaarving!
So it was time for me to come up with a plan of action.
I started bringing snacks in my car when I picked them up. Genius! Ummm, not really. I’d like to blame it on the fact that when you are so hungry you can’t think straight but I think the reality of it is that it’s just the way they are. My car always looked like a bomb had just hit it no matter what I tried.
I started bringing a trail mix. Big mistake. We were finding nuts, chocolate chips and craisins all over the car for months after. In between the seat belts, under the seats, even in the windows. *eye rolls* So then I figured I would bring fruit leathers… na, wrappers got tucked into every corner. Clementines SHOULD be a great idea. But nope. Imagine finding dried up clementine peels. Until I decided enough was enough.
I needed to come up with a perfect, filling and satisfying snack that if they knew it was waiting for them when they got home then they’d be able to wait during the drive home without asking me 452 times if they can have something to eat.
This is it. It works every time. Winning Snack Bars. I make a variety of different “toppings and flavors” they chose what they like. (we are into a little grove by now of who likes what) I use staples or ingredients that I always have on hand and if I don’t have time to prepare it before they come home… I set up a “bar” and they make what they like by themselves. And then we are all happy. No mess in my car. Happy little tummies that are full until dinner time. And we all win by eating lots of healthy nutrients!
Here is what I consider when choosing my ingredient combos:
Does it have a healthy fat (avocado, nut butter, tahini etc) to keep them full
Does it have a complex carbs (ezekiel bread, fruit) to give them energy
Does it have some form of protein (hummus, nut butter)
SNACK BARS:
Ezekiel bread (or your favorite bread) as your base cut into bars
TOPPING OPTIONS:
// Almond butter + Banana Slices + Chocolate Chips
// Chummus + Avocado + Cherry Tomatoes
// Tahini (this is the best tahini hands down!) + Raspberries + a drizzle honey
// Almond butter + Strawberries + Chia Seeds
// Mashed avocado + Sliced hardboiled eggs + Salsa
to your health, xxx
PS Are you in the Busy and Healthy Moms Facebook group yet?? You can join us here: Busy and Healthy Moms
PSS Want to learn more on how to eat for energy, to fuel yourself in a delicious, healthy and fun way? Download my FREE 5 day Eating for Energy Starter kit here. http://bit.ly/2g1AHvp