Simple Solutions: Snack Boxes

Meet my new timesavers.

Snack boxes.

My kids are big snackers. 

Big snackers. 

They're usually asking for snacks by 9 am, and it doesn't end all day long.

And their snacks of choice?

Pretzels, Cheezits, Chex Mix...basically, carbs and sodium.

I am forever exasperated by their refusal to eat "healthy snacks" (their term for fruits and vegetables) and the endless little bowls and cups left in the living room with pretzel dust in the bottom.  And how can I forget the crunched up pretzels on every floor of our house? 

And while I am trying to encourage them to fill out their meals a bit more and to cut down on snacking in general, I've been pondering an easier way for a few weeks.  The first step was putting the snack foods into snack sized bags.  I really debated back and forth on this...less dishes, but more waste (and I rarely buy anything in single serving packages for that reason alone). 

Two thoughts swayed me. 

Number one - I can control portion sizes better when I divide it up myself than the kids serving themselves from big bags (and eliminate those crunched pretzels everywhere, along with the bags being constantly left out on the counters).  Number two - it's pretty easy to give those little bags a swish with a bit of soapy water, rinse and reuse. 

I found these little boxes at Wal-Mart and let each kid label their own.  After grocery shopping on Friday, I bagged up the snackies and let each kid pick 10 snack filled baggies to put in their box.

Those are their 10 snacks until the next Friday morning.  They can have a snack bag from their box whenever they want...until they run out.  When they're out, they're out.  We're not refilling those boxes until Friday.   They can also have any "healthy snack" they want - an apple, a banana, some carrots, watermelon, whatever - whenever they'd like, without limit. 

So far, it's working pretty well.  I am trying to make sure we have plenty of other choices to go along with what's in the Snack Boxes, but they've got over 10 baggies in there.  It should be more than enough (especially with all the healthy snack freebie options)...but I have a feeling Caleb's going to learn a lesson in rationing come Wednesday or Thursday.  

Perhaps a little lesson in self-control to go along with making this Mama's life a little easier =)

This post linked to We Are That Family's Works For Me Wednesday.

Comments

[felecia]

Love this! I wonder if I could do it in a sense with Jayden...perhaps not letting him regulate himself over a week...but daily...

[Samantha Widlund]

I know it's probably not a new idea in any way, but I wish I'd thought of it years ago. It makes it so much easier to keep track of what they're actually eating and having snacks all bagged up is turning into a big time and dish saver!

[mom2fur]

I used to do something like this for my kids when they were little. These days, with all of them pretty much grown, I'll still measure out '100 calorie' bags for my middle son. He is 23 and has been very heavy all his life. He's trying so hard to lose weight now--he's on the treadmill for an hour five days a week. I'm so proud of him, so anything I can do will help him. Hmmm...maybe I'll make up a "Jamie's 100 Calorie Snack Box" for him?

See, even when they are adults they are still our babies, LOL!

[Michelle]

:) I wrote about the same idea on my blog today. And here I thought I was original! ;)

My kids are serious snackers, too. I love this idea.

[Melinda]

I love this idea. If my kids were older I would definatly do this but I don't think my 2 year old would get it =)
Stopping by from WFMW

[Llama Momma]

This is such a good idea!!