Backpack Snack

Backpack Snack
Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven
Struggling to find healthy snacks to send to school with your child? The search is over with this fun-to-make Backpack Snack. Suitable for the preschool bunch and up….[br][br][b]Yield:[/b] about 4 cups
Ingredients
  • Possible Mix-In’s
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried fruit bits
  • 1/2 cup whole-grain mini pretzels
  • 1/2 cup naturally sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, shelled
  • 1/4 cup juice sweetened “gummies”
  • 1 1/2 cups crunchy, low sugar kid-friendly cereal
  • About 8 mini containers with lids (look for BPA-free)
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in bowls. Let your kids create their own snack mixtures by placing a variety of ingredients in their mini containers!
Notes
If you can’t find dried fruit bit combinations without added sugar, look for individual dried fruits such as blueberries, cherries and apricots. (If necessary, cut into bit-sized pieces using kitchen shears.)[br][br][b]Make Ahead and Storage Tips:[/b] snacks may be prepared up to 1 week ahead. Store, covered at room temperature up to 1 week. (cereal and pretzels may lose their crunch if stored longer)[br][br]Look for kid-friendly, low sugar cereals such as [b]Kashi’s Mighty Bytes[/b] (5 grams) or [b]Envirokidz’ Gorilla Munch[/b]. (8 grams) [b]Annie’s Organic Snack Mix Bunnies[/b] are also a big hit with little ones. If you decide to let your kids have gummies as an occasional treat, look for brands like [b]GoBIO’s Organic Vegan Gummies[/b] that contain real organic fruit and vegetable flavors. Check out [b]Sunspire’s Grain Sweetened Dark Chocolate Baking Chips[/b] for a healthier alternative.

 

1 Response

  1. Forget the kids, I want to take these to work for my snacks! :)