My kids are going to camp this summer and we're having a hard time finding quick and easy foods to fill them up at camp. My husband makes them awesome homemade lunches, but needs some prepackaged snacks that he can throw in the lunch box some mornings. So far I've found GoGo Squeeze Applesauce, Cliff's Fruit Twists, and individual trail mix packs at Trader Joes. But there have to be more choices!
What other things like this do you put in your kids lunches? (only caveat: must be peanut free)
And... before everyone jumps on me and says that I can make my own trail mix, put applesauce in small containers, etc... I already do all of that some days, I just need some quick and easy ideas for the mornings when no one is yet fully awake. Thanks!
I buy a big box of cheese-its or animal crackers and put them in the little snack size ziploc bags, then put them in the freezer. Pull it out the night before and it's fine by lunchtime. It probably would be fine if you pulled it out in the morning, but I've never tried that.
GoGurts and cheese sticks, fruit cups, fruit roll-ups, cracker packs, 100 calorie packs, carrots and ranch packs. Really, you can use snack size zip baggies and put in chips and pretzels, nuts, anything else that they like to eat. Good luck!!!
I buy things prepackaged all the time for easy lunch making. We like popcorn and goldfish. The kids also like gummies on occassion. Rice krispy treats?
I also prepackage tons of fruits and veggies for the week every Sunday. It makes for quick grab and go snacks for all of us. I bring 3-4 bags with me to work every day and the kids know they can get those whenever they want without having to ask permission. So if you do something like that on Sunday, then they are ready for you every morning without having to make it that morning.
Individually wrapped cheese sticks, with a cool pak. :)
Protein bars. Filling and tasty.
I love the healthier snack options that Costco carries and I stock up when there's a coupon for it. In addition to what you already said, I get Cliff Kids Z bars, Bunny grahams (no hydrogenated oils, and the variety pack comes with normal grahams, cheese ones, chocolate, and then chocolate chip), Veggie chips, Kashi granola bars, fruit juice (Capri Sun and Fruitables now have a juice made out of 100% fruit and vegetable juice), roasted salted seaweed (my kids and LOVE this), snack bag of cereal like cheerios or Quacker's Oat bran squares, deydrated Mangos from Costco, or apples, jerky (you can find this individually packaged). I have a basket down low in the pantry full of kid snacks, and I grab a handful of each of the prepackaged stuff to put in there so there's a good variety, in addition to pre-bagging the stuff like cereal and dried fruit. I also have a low kid drawer in my fridge full of yogurt, string cheese, fruit, and veggies. When I come home from shopping, I make easy to grab snack bags or tupperware full of cherries, grapes, sliced carrots, whole apples and oranges, etc. That way when you're in a hurry out the door it's already bagged for you even if it didn't originally come prepackaged. Gogurt (or healthier option at Sprouts or Trader Joes) kept frozen are also nice to grab and when it's so hot out I also will grab a frozen string cheese so that by the time they eat it is still cold. I also get Trader Joe's breakfast bars as a special snack sometimes. If we have leftover rotisserie chicken, ham, or any meat I put it in snack bags in the freezer. I pack that, along with string cheese and a snack bag of whole-grain crackers and we call it a homemade lunchable.
Our easy snack/lunch stuff includes granola bars (we found some all organic ones at Target), cheese sticks, yogurt, cottage cheese, a little baggie/container of cashews and dried fruit, and popcorn/pirate booty/snikiddy snacks.
Stuff that require more prep: grapes, berries, a little packet of carrots and dip, cheese and crackers, edamame.
Granola/cereal/protein bars, cheese sticks, Annie's cheddar bunnies/graham bunnies, pretzels, yogurt, raisins, muffins, bagels/cream cheese (they sell the little individual packets at most stores now) snack packs of carrots or apple slices.
Cheese and crackers
Pretzels, raisins, goldfish or snikkidy snacks. Auntie Anne's cheddar bunnies or bunny mix. Dried fruit (mangos, apple chips, banana chips). Freeze a box of tubers (go-gurts) and they stay icy and cold all morning in the lunch box. Fruit leather or gummies. Slice fresh fruit or veggies the night before so they are ready to go in the morning. Granola bars or a chex mix.
Hope this helped!!
I do a lot of fruits and veggies... individual packs of baby carrots and apple slices. I also do the individual packages of goldfish and pringles. I also put together small containers of blueberries and red grapes. Sometimes I put together strawberries and blueberries for her. Occasionally I'll put in a granola bar.
