*10 Make Ahead Snacks for Your Busy Life is a guest post. If you are interested in writing for A Modern Mom’s Life, please visit my Guest Posting page.*
Parents need to look after their kids’ health – no matter what. And lets admit it: we all try all kinds of things just to make sure we are doing it right.
We devise strategies (or tricks) just to make them eat veggies. We take them to the doctor regularly. We hopefully try out new wellness trends like organic food and even natural or essential oils. We even desperately incorporate their meals into our own gluten-free, vegan, and ketogenic or keto diets just to show them that eating healthy is also for adults or the whole family.
But no matter how hard we try, there are things or situations that we simply cannot control – like fast food all around, junk food they see with their playmates, and more. And what more if your kids are fond of doing outdoor activities and sports? How can you be sure that they’re getting the nutrition and energy they need?
Well we’ve got you covered. For both stay-at-home and busy families, these nutritious and tasty snacks are those you can prepare in advance so you’ll always be ready to give them one just whenever the need arises.
Related: Meal Planning Tips and Tricks
Take a look at these easy make ahead snacks for your busy lifestyle:
Whole Wheat Wraps
The best thing about creating whole wheat wraps is that your kids could have their favorite while you can sneak in some of the healthy stuff – a win win for mom! If your kid loves cheese, bacon, or chicken, you can just wrap those in the wheat tortilla along with bits and pieces of veggies that they wouldn’t notice like tomatoes or onions. Be creative. Just remember to let their favorites stand out so they won’t even bother taking a look at what’s inside.
Mini Pancake Sandwiches
Pancakes are so easy to make. And the good thing is, you can either pop the batter or the pancakes in your fridge for future use and they’ll still taste the same. Make smaller version of these pancakes and make them into little sandwiches for a more filling meal. You can make ham and egg, classic PB&Js, bacon and cheese, and more.
Muffins
If baking is your strong point, then doing muffins is a piece of cake for you. You can make healthier versions of your homemade muffins by putting less sugar and incorporating more fruits like bananas, strawberries, even corn, and more.
Mix ‘n Match Breakfast Sammies
These breakfast mini sandwiches are classic. Just mix and match your kids’ favorite breakfast food and place them inside mini buns so it’ll be easier and more fun to eat. Switch up different meats with egg and cheese – like bacon on Mondays, ham on Tuesdays, and so on.
No-bake Granola Bars
This one is so easy to make and doing one batch can last for 3 to 5 days depending on how much your kids can eat. The base of these bars is peanut butter which is high in protein, but you may also change it up to other nut butters according to your preference. Just add almonds, granola, cereal, oats, and honey, pop it in your freezer, then slice it up! You may be as creative as you want!
Oatmeal & Cereal Snack Cups
If your kids are cereal or oatmeal fans, then why not let them eat what they love even if they’re outside the house? The key here is to find small bottles, cups with lids, or mini mason jars where you can put their favorite cereals inside. And you’re good to go!
On-the-Go Quesadillas
Just like sandwiches and wraps, quesadillas are so easy to make and prep. These are perfect if you think your kids are already ‘sick’ of eating sandwiches for their snack in school. You can make cheese beef, chicken quesadillas and more. Individually wrap them and place them in your fridge. And once you need to send one to your kiddo, just pop them in the microwave (or toaster if they want it a bit crunchy) and they’re good to go!
Quiches / Mini Egg Cups
These quiches or mini frittatas are so tasty and delicious too. All you need is a muffin baking tray to make them. Mix some beaten eggs with cream, mascarpone, or parmesan cheese flavor. Then what you add to your mini omelettes or frittatas is up to you. You may go with bacon bits, prosciutto, ham bits, and veggies like basil, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and more.
Froyo Trail Mix Bars
During summertime, these healthy frozen bars are a treat. What you do is, mix some Greek yogurt with your kids’ favorite trail mix items nuts, choco chips, fruits, etc. (and your healthy choices too, of course), and then spread the froyo mixture onto a lined baking pan then pop it in your freezer. After you slice it into bars, you may already place them into individual resealable bags so you won’t have to cut and them every time.
Veggie Pizza Pockets
It’s so easy to find pita pockets in the supermarket. And instead of making them into mini shawarmas, why not make them into something your kids absolutely love? Just like calzones, but way easier! Let them know that you’re making cheese or pepperoni pizza pockets, but what they don’t know is that you’ll stash some of the good stuff inside like mushrooms, artichokes, etc. Another win-win for mom!
So there you have it. All these go-to busy family snacks are so easy to make – using usual ingredients we have at home and normal kitchen tools. You can stock all these in your fridge or freezer, and then just reheat or pack whenever you need to.
And as we understand that us parents are also busy juggling our individual lives, always remember that while we do all that we can for the health of our kids, we should never ever neglect ours. Because how will we be able to take care of them properly if we ourselves aren’t active and healthy, right?
We want to make the most out of our time with them while they’re still young. We also need to follow strict healthy diets even if it means we need to experiment on low-carb and high-fat food, sleep well, exercise regularly, take good care of our skin, and more.
Brock is passionate about healthy living. He loves helping others achieve their goals at Goodness Me! When he is not researching the latest food trends, you can find him out in the garden with his wife and dog.
Do you have a favourite make ahead snack or quick meal? We’re a peanut butter sandwich family, except we end up eating them only in the car as everywhere we go is nut free! I might run some of these ideas by the girls and see if we can change it up once in a while with a different snack!
~Jess
