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“Mom, I’m hungry!”
As a mom of two young kids, it seems like I spend most of my day preparing meals and snacks. Now that my oldest is back at preschool, having planned snacks during the week saves me a lot of time when we are running to and from activities. I love snacks that can be thrown together quickly and are easy to transport wherever we find ourselves throughout the day.
Christine’s Snacking Challenges
Confession time, friends! I sat down to write a blog about my habits around snacking and one thing keeps coming to mind. My habits are not great in this area! Don’t get me wrong, I eat snacks and I love snacks. Some of my favorites are string cheese, crackers, and nuts. I am just not as strategic about them as I could be. I tend to only think about snacks when I am home and have access to them. That is often after dinner when I don’t really need much more energy for the day. I suppose this is coming at a good time as it is forcing me to think about what I could do better.
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
Today I would like to introduce you to one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes – Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins. We eat these muffins for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack time. Skip to the bottom of this blog for the link to the recipe. Read the middle section if you would like my story of this recipe.
Frozen Yogurt Bark
April showers bring May flowers… and May brings warmer weather for spending time outside. This May I am running my first half marathon! With this extra activity, I need extra meals and snacks to make it through my day. One snack I have been making recently is Frozen Yogurt Bark – our May recipe of the month. It is the perfect snack after a long hot run.
Vending Machines Eat Money
When I go by a vending machine, it is tempting to stop for a snack. But, just like everything, prices have gone up. If I buy a $.75 item every day, it adds up to $3.75 per week and $195.00 in a year. I can think of lots of things to do with $195.00—like getting several massages, or taking my family out for a special treat.
Am I spending too much on groceries? Part III
As I looked at my sister’s grocery receipts, I noticed she bought lots of fresh, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables, which is great! There are not many prepackaged meals or convenience items—also a plus. The meat purchased was quite economical with the exception of chicken strips. They are generally not a smart buy in terms of nutrition and cost.
Shopping with Kids
We all know it is much easier to shop without kids along, but sometimes it can’t be avoided.
100-Calorie Snacks…Convenience vs. Cost
100-calorie snack packs are a temptation when I am trying to keep my calories under control…I’m tempted because they are convenient, but I always balk at the price. Plus, most of them are higher in sugar and fat than I usually eat. Try these delicious 100-calorie options instead!
When health and money values conflict…
I just hate it when my values conflict with each other. I like to eat healthy and inexpensively. Sometimes it’s easy, like buying fruits and vegetables, grains, and lean meats at the grocery and making simple, great tasting meals my way, instead of paying extra for convenience meals.
Hurry-Up Baked Apples
I like baked apples, but when it’s just for me, I don’t want to heat the oven up. Our featured recipe this month, Hurry Up Baked Apples, uses the microwave to do the baking. These are great as a dessert, snack, or for breakfast.
Christmas Cookies
My sister is having her annual cookie making “party” Saturday afternoon. She invites two of her friends, her daughter, and me to bring ingredients for cookies to her house. We all work together for 2-3 hours and end up with a nice variety of cookies. The conversation is always lively plus, we have lots of fun with many different tunes from cell phone timers going off all the time.
It’s Not Just a Piece of Candy
As a mother of a 2 and 4 year-old, I am quickly learning about how snacks are an integral part of growing up. It seems that snacks are not only available to children for nutrition, but are a necessity for social gatherings and fun.