Sneaky Snacks for Active Families
The kids all ran ahead down the trail.
“I see the way out!” one yelled. “Come on, Guys!”
Like wild indians they exploded through the tree line into the sun. Smiles. Dirt. Sweat. Heavy Breathing. They were radiant with that special glow that you can only achieve in the woods. The adults lagged behind and entered the sunshine just as their glow faded and the once radiant faces collapsed. “I’m sooooo hungry! Mommy, I need a snack!” Suddenly, we had a pack of baby birds cheeping loudly… and VERY IMPATIENTLY.
As a beautiful afternoon corroded around a group of moms desperately searching backpacks for any semblance of an edible crumb, I jogged to my car and pulled out my Super Snacks. For once, my Super Mom cape was starched, ironed and flowing beautifully behind me. I popped the lid of the Rubbermaid container and watched the Wild-Indians-Turned-Annoying-Baby-Birds morph once again into Wild Hyenas and Vultures fighting over a great find out on the savannah. Jesus. Kids are tough, Man.
One mom turned to me. “This is brilliant! You’ve got to make a list of your favorite healthy snacks to keep in your car!” And so, I am. I keep a flat, rectangular container in my car that I regularly restock with great snacks. Some of these are individual snacks that you can throw into a backpack as you head on an adventure (I ALWAYS keep a backpack in the back of my car). Others are actually in bigger bags. When I pop one of those open, I move it to the front seat and we use it til it is gone or I take it inside to be the current snack. I additionally keep dixie cups, brown paper lunch bags, a few washcloths, and two small tupperware containers alongside the snacks. These come in handy for splitting snacks between kids, dividing a big bag of popcorn so grubby hands aren’t tainting the rest, and packing a container to carry in your bag. My Super Snacks have saved many a day from going south quickly. I hope they do the same for you!
Gosh I look like such a “Mom” in this pic ….
Individual Snacks:
Stretch Island Fruit Leathers: made from REAL FRUIT, non-GMO, Zero added sugar, no flavors, preservatives, or colors
NUT-rition single serve packs, 18 ct
Orchard Valley Dark Chocolate Almonds: these hold up pretty good, except in maybe July and August
Autumn Gold Grain Free Granola Bars: this is the ONLY granola bar I feel good feeding my kids
Freeze Dried Fruit Crisps: Strawberry/Banana, Asian Pear, Apple
Larger Packages:
Duke’s Sausages: these aren’t perfect, but they fill my kids up and they are pretty darn good for the price
Buddha Popcorn: cooked in coconut oil and salted himalayan salt
Paleo Puffs: think cheese puffs, but healthier