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I’ve found with homeschooling, or having children in general, snacks are a necessity. Snack breaks give kids (and parents) a much needed break. If eaten while working, snacks can help with focus and attention…which is why we do our family bible time over breakfast. They can even be used as fun, and tasty, math manipulatives.
You’ll find most of the snacks we enjoy are very flexible on ingredients. Kids are tricky and their preferences change often, sometimes daily. I love that this allows for lessons to be taught when it comes to using and enjoying what we have on hand, shopping seasonally, and how to make ingredient substitutions.
Below are 10 of our go to snacks to give you some fresh inspiration.
1. mini muffins
One snack we always come back to is mini muffins, of all varieties. We love trying different mixing with this base recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
For reference, we do substitute fresh milled soft white wheat flour (170g) for the all purpose flour and they turn out perfectly. Oat flour would probably work great also.
2. trail mix (our favorite on the go snack)
There are tons of recipes online depending on the flavor profile you are looking for but we usually just make pantry trail mix. We pull out anything that we have available, mix and enjoy! A favorite combo we have on hand right now is cashews, raisins and mini marshmallows.
We had about 3 bags leftover from a homeschool party…so this will be a favorite for a while I’m sure.
This is also a great snack for math lessons. Not only is it delicious, but the small pieces make for great manipulatives.
3. yogurt parfaits
Simple and delicious! This is another option that you can change up depending what you have on hand. We always include our favorite protein granola though.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 scoops protein powder of choice (we use Select Protein)
- pinch of salt
- dash of vanilla
- 8 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (optional depending on preference for sweetness)
Simply mix the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, salt and vanilla in one bowl. If using brown sugar, stir into the oats now in a separate bowl. Whisk protein powder into the coconut oil mixture and immediately dump into oats and stir thoroughly. You want the granola to very loosely stick together, if it seems wet, add a little more oats. Let sit while the oven preheats to 350. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes (do not stir half way) and let cool completely (I know…it’s hard) for the best clusters. Enjoy in parfait or as a snack on its own!
4. Homemade protein Bars
My kids love these homemade copycat Perfect Bars from Erin Lives Whole. They are no-bake and she has 11…yes 11, different variations. I can’t wait to try out the white chocolate peppermint version this winter.
5. homemade cheese crackers
If you have little ones that like to help out in the kitchen, these homemade cheese crackers are so much fun to make. I love that I can make the dough in the morning and pull it from the fridge when ready to bake which is when my kids jump in. I roll out the dough, pull out our mini cookie cutters and they go to town.
Grains in Small Spaces has many amazing recipes but this is certainly a favorite. This recipe uses fresh milled flour but you could easily sub in all purpose. You just may need a little less water or more flour as fresh milled flour absorbs more moisture.
6. Apple nachos
We like to core and slice our apples like little donuts and keep things simple with peanut butter, honey and mini chocolate chips but the possibilities are endless. Chopped nuts, mini marshmallows, caramel drizzle, granola, toasted coconut and crushed pretzels are some other toppings that would be amazing. Any apple variety works.
If you have little ones, you could have them decorate their “donuts” as a fun fine motor activity. Perfect for preschoolers through early elementary.
7. Fruit Salsa
This one is also a hit at family and friend gatherings. You can use whatever you like but our go to fruits are mangoes, kiwis, peaches, blueberries and apples. You can also change it up seasonally. Finely chop all fruits very small and mix in a squeeze of lemon juice and a teaspoon or so of jam, any flavor will do. Let sit for a bit in the fridge for best results. Enjoy with homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips or Stacy’s Cinnamon pita chips.
8. Smoothies
A current favorite in our home is a blueberry muffin smoothie. Blend 1 cup frozen blueberries, half a large or 1 small frozen banana and 1 cup of water. Once blended, pulse in 1 scoop of protein powder. We use Select protein frosted sugar cookie. This makes one adult serving that can be split up between kiddos. Feel free to toss in some flax or chia seeds also for a fiber boost and healthy fats.
9. Chocolate Drizzle popcorn
While plain salted popcorn is a staple in our diet, chocolate drizzle popcorn (zebra popcorn) draws lots of excitement. You can use magic shell or make some yourself by mixing 1/2 cup of chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Melt in the microwave or on the stove top and drizzle over pop corn on a sheet pan. Let set in the fridge…or freezer if you have room and are impatient like us. The chocolate hardens and is such a treat.
10. Snack Boards
Similar to our “what’s in the pantry?” trail mix, we love making up “what’s in our fridge?” snack boards. This is also our lunch a lot of days if I’m being honest.
You can add fruit, veggies, cheese, deli meat, nuts, olives, pickles, etc. Pair with some tortilla chips, pita bread or crackers if you have them on hand and any dip(s) you like. .
For veggies, my kids love our homemade protein ranch. Simply mix 1/2 cup blended cottage cheese with 1 tablespoon of ranch seasoning. let sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
That’s a wrap on our favorite snacks for our homeschool day! Remember, snacks don’t have to be fancy or complicated, just tasty. I would love to hear below, what are some of your family favorites?
Happy Homeschooling!
