My Favorite Snack Hacks

I am constantly on the lookout for creative snack ideas that are easy and nutritious. I don't want to spend a ton of time making Emmie's snacks, but I also want them to be fun and good for her. That's kind of a tall order, right?

Well, if there's one “snack hack” I have for making snacks that fit the bill, it can be summed up in one word: versatile. I like to have a few simple ideas that can be transformed into lots of different snacks. Changing a couple of ingredients in these snack hack recipes can make a totally different snack concept!

One incredibly easy, versatile idea for a kid's snack are these apple stack-ups. The method is simple: slice apples into thin pieces and layer with your favorite fillings. On this day, we chose peanut butter and dried cranberries. You could also use cream cheese, yogurt, granola, dried fruit, coconut, or chocolate chips as the filling…the possibilities are endless! This snack is a fun way to really experiment with new and different foods. You'd be surprised what kids will try when the food is fun!

To make this snack even easier to prepare for kids, I've included a cute printable note to include in their lunch box. You can click here to download a printable copy!

Here's the method: on a large rimmed cookie sheet, lay a piece of wax paper flat. Spread a 32oz carton of plain yogurt about 1/2” thick. If desired, you can use vanilla yogurt, Greek yogurt, or even mix a little bit of honey into plain yogurt to give it sweetness.

Then, chop fruits you love into bite-sized pieces and spread on the yogurt. On this day, I chose grapes, oranges, strawberries, and pineapple. Slightly press fruits into the yogurt and pop the cookie sheet into the freezer for a couple of hours.

Then, lift the frozen yogurt off the sheet and break into sections for an easy snack!

And here's another printable to go with your fun snack…click here for a downloadable copy.