Kids After School Snack Attack -Trader Joe's Edition
I don't think a day has gone by where my kids didn't say "I'm hungry" within 5 minutes of being home after school! And I know I'm not alone. Kids are famished by the time they get home, school takes a lot out of them. That's why I used to google and pinterest "kids after school snacks" all the time. Some of this stuff was laughable - roasted chickpeas? That'll keep my 6 year old full for maybe 20 minutes. Dinner in my house isn't until almost 7, so I need the snack to be able to hold off the kids until at least then!
After much experimentation, I've come to the conclusion that a grazing board is the only solution to my bottomless pits, I mean my kids. I got into grazing boards, or charcuterie boards if you want to be fancy, a few years ago, but I only did it for parties or fancy brunches with my girl friends. I don't know why it took me so long to make it for my kids, but now that I do, they LOVE it, and eat every single thing off of it. I think part of the reason they eat everything off of it is because it seems so fancy and special. And the best part is there is hardly any preparation needed, usually I just rummage my pantry and fridge, and keep throwing everything on a nice wood board until it looks full enough. Sometimes I use a large pink plastic kids’ plate from Target. You can even make it in individual plates for them, and personalize it with snacks they like. Trust me, it doesn't take very long to make!
My rule for kids' charcuterie board is:
- 2 Veggies
- 2 Fruits
- 2 "junk foods"
- 1 nuts/seeds
I do majority of my grocery shopping from Trader Joe's, and I've posted some of my favorite snacks for kids from there are the end of this post! Everything on this board is from Trader Joe's!
Veggies:
- carrots
- cucumbers
- snap peas
- cherry tomatoes
- edamame
- celery
- broccoli
- radish
- olives
Fruits:
- berries
- pear
- pomegranate seeds
- dates
- apples
- cuties
- grapes
- figs
I try to stick to fruits and veggies that don't need a fork, and don't make a mess because they are took watery (like melons).
Junk Food, I keep the quantity for this low. And i usually put in 70% cocoa dark chocolate, so that's kind of healthy!
- brioche bread with chocolate chips
- dark chocolate
- marshmallows
- muffins
- banana bread (Trader Joe's makes an amazinggg gluten free one)
- dunkers (like extra long chocolate chip cookies made for dunking in milk)
- biscotti
- chips
- popcorn
- cookies
- granola bars
- date energy balls (Dates, dried fruits, nuts)
- cheese (usually string or laughing cow)
Nuts, because they love them and it's good for them:
- cashews
- pistachios
- pumpkin seeds
- sunflower seeds
- pine nuts
- almonds
Here are some of my favorite kids' snacks from Trader Joe's:
Dunkers are sort of like biscotti meets cookie!
The Way More Chocolate Chips Cookies are addictive with cold milk!
Organic Poptarts!
My daughters favorite dessert from trader joes is babka! It reminds me of NYC
The have season flavors for the Danish Kringles, and each one of them is amazing!
Organic lollipops. I know organic doesn't meant healthy, but at least it's clean eating. These lollipops don't have the usual colors that are known carcinogens and known to cause behavioral problems in children. Plus they're yummy.
So many granola bar options!
These are so cute for Ramadan/Eid parties!
OK, my favorite cake from a grocery store ever! so good!
I'm not a fan of Mochi, but my daughter is, and she loves this stuff, along with the frozen macarons.
Halal Marshmallows! And this is their seasonal peppermint one, so good for hot chocolate!
Sliced fruits, for when you're too lazy. No need to be ashamed.
Organic chocolate syrup, my favorite!
These bars come in a whole bunch of flavors, apple, blueberry, strawberry, pumpkin, etc.
Lots of organic yogurt options, my kids prefer these squeezable ones over other brands.
Our favorite dark chocolate, even my toddler loves it!
Organic sliced cheese
Perfect for breakfast, with some cream cheese and jam
Organic silver dollar pancakes, for those mornings you need to rush out the door!
A spoon with a large chunk of chocolate and marshmallows attached to it makes it so easy to make hot chocolate! Plus the marshmallows are halal!
Best minty green tea!
Small, but good!
Sometimes my kids refuse to eat naan, so this 3 minute rice saves me so much time! I prefer to get the white rice, because brown rice tends to have more arsenic.
