Snack size bags of crackers, frozen pizza, single-serve applesauce cups, and frozen pie crusts are quick and easy foods that are very tempting to throw in your grocery cart. These foods may be easier at the moment but they are also more expensive and probably not the healthiest choices for your family.
With a little planning and preparation you can stock your freezer and pantry with homemade convenience foods that are easy to just heat and serve. The following list is a few of my favorites. Some are really simple to make, others may take a little more preparation, but the effort is definitely worth it!
SNACK SIZE SERVINGS
Pretty much anything can be made into snack-size servings. Simply having oranges peeled, sliced and place in bags is a great way to have a healthy snack on hand. I’ll go ahead and peel a whole bag of oranges as soon as I get home from the grocery store and put them in bags. If I leave the oranges whole, nobody will touch them, but if I have them in convenient little bags ready to eat, they’re sure to be eaten!
Same goes for celery, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli. If they’re in ready-to-eat bags, my family will choose these healthy snacks over a bag of chips.
Another quick and convenient snack is boiled eggs. I like to keep about a half dozen boiled eggs in the refrigerator for snacks and salads.
I like to take one evening with the kids and prepare “baggies” of snacks that are ready to go. That way everyone knows what is available for the week. I am always looking for containers that I can reuse. Any ideas?
I use mason jars for just about everything including storing snacks and leftovers. However, with little ones you may be looking for something less fragile. When I’m not using mason jars I use reusable bags that I’ve made with fabric that I coated with a thin coat of beeswax. Here is a link for the reusable bag tutorial and another link with instructions on how to make beeswax-coated fabric: http://myhappycrazylife.com/make-a-reusable-snack-bag/ and http://www.sustaincreateandflow.com/how-to-make-beeswax-cloth/