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Health & Fitness

Tasty Treats for Back to School

Kids are off to school this week and all I am thinking about is food.  Lunch, snacks and an easy, healthy dinner.  Trying to balance this is quite a feat and one I often seem to fail (the healthy part) but I am trying.  First and foremost for me is preparation.  You have to prepare to be successful in just about anything, right?  So have a plan and try to stick to it.  I remember when I was first starting out with my little family and not working and it was my job to save us as much money as I could in the month!  I clipped coupons, tracked all the grocery flyers and made sure I was getting the best deal for my family.  I always did.  Not sure how we survived on the salary we had, but we did.  I believe it was because I was prepared.  Believe me, I was no extreme couponer but I did freak out when I would see the savings on my receipt if it equaled my total cost! 

 

Nowadays, I’m not as fanatical about coupon clipping, but I do prepare, especially for snacks and lunches for the kids.  My son is in a class all his own because he is a cross country runner and would laugh if I gave him a few carrots and celery sticks for an afternoon snack after running, but for the most part, (add high protein shake for athletes  . . .  :- ) these snacks work for us and are easy and won’t break the bank. 

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Have them help you prepare these goodies . . . most likely, if they help you cook (or assemble) they will eat it, no matter how healthy!

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Here are my top eleven:  

 

1.      Baby carrots, cut cucumbers, and cut red peppers dipped in ranch dressing or dip

 

2.     Mini rice cakes with nut butter, or cream cheese with fruit on top

 

3.     Anything in mini form or that has a skewer or toothpick through it is a hit.  (cheese, fruit, veggies)

 

4.     Make sure that there is a stash of washed, fresh fruit and veggies ready to grab.  Cut up your own baby carrots and celery and snap peas and place them in snack bags for grabbing right out of the fridge

 

5.     Tiny pitas from Trader Joes with chicken salad

 

6.     Smoothies  (serve with a crazy straw just for fun)

 

7.     Snack mix of popcorn, Chex mix and pretzels.  Serve it in a coffee filter or an ice cream cone to mix it up a bit

 

8.     Waffles cut into strips with nut butter

 

9.     Oatmeal cookies or jam pack some brownies with lots of nuts!

 

10. Watermelon – Watermelon – Watermelon, did I say watermelon?  Stop by Plowboys for the best deal but make sure you eat it quickly

 

11. Popcorn (did you know you can make this in the microwave for pennies!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/microwave-popcorn/)

 

What is your favorite snack for after school?  Let me know!  This momma is always in need of a few new treats to stash in the pantry or fridge.

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