Healthy Vacation Snacks
We spend a lot of time at the beach in the summer. I have to say it's hard to keep things as nutritious as we do at home. We are fortunate to have a beach house to spend most of our weekends (sometimes longer) at, but when you are not in that regular routine and in a environment where you are temped by GrandPops — it gets hard. Hey, I am all for treats and "letting go" and think there should be a happy medium but when you are on vacation for days it then becomes more of a routine than a treat.
When I pack up the cooler before heading down to the beach I want to make it as nutritious as possible because I know the ice cream man will be rolling his cart down the beach at some point. They don't get ice cream daily but if they get money from Nana for ice cream then of course they can use it. It's part of being a kid and I think a tradition of being at the shore.
Here are some of my favorite snacks that I fill my cooler with — what's in your cooler?
Beach Snacks
Granola Bars — Make your own or by ones that you know are organic and with the least amount of processed ingredients.
Fresh Fruit — Who doesn't like fresh fruit? Make a huge fruit salad and place it in a reusable container with a tight lid and bring it down to snack on all day.
Frozen Yogurt Squeezers — You can make your own using a snack size baggie filling it with about 3oz of homemade yogurt mixed with fresh jam and freeze or you can buy a organic frozen yogurt or fruit squeezable. If you make your own just bring a pair of child size scissors with you so you can cut a small corner out so they can squeeze the yogurt in their mouths. The yogurt will not be totally frozen but really cold.
Homemade Peanut Butter Crackers — By all means make your own Peanut Butter Crackers!!! Don't spend the money on ones that are filled with processed ingredients. I don't even think the peanut butter is real. Seriously…how long does it take to make it. I would say about 5 minutes total.
Cheese —Instead of buying processed cheese sticks that cost a small fortune make your own cheese slices for your kids to eat on their own or with crackers.
Hummus — We love hummus to dip in veggies and crackers or even make a wrap with lettuce and tomatoes. If you have reusable containers than none of your snacks should get soggy. I love this recipe!
PBJ Sandwiches — if you are anything like my kids they love to eat! I pack PBJ sandwiches as a snack. Make sure the peanut butter is as natural as possible, take a look at the ingredients — it should only read peanuts and maybe sea salt…That's it! try making your own jam…it's so yummy!
Homemade treats — Spend a little time before you head to the beach and make those yummy homemade treats like cookies, muffins, etc… instead of buying processed ones. Freeze them and then place in baggies, by the time you want to eat them they will be defrosted but not a melted mess.
Water — You need plenty of water at the beach. I found that if you spend a little cash on a good insulted thermos it's well worth it. Your water will still be cold the next day…seriously!
Veggies with Dip — Cut up those garden veggies and pack your favorite dip or use the hummus for dipping.
Have a great Summer snacking on good foods!
Trina O'Boyle is a Drexel Hill, PA mom of two boys. This post is adapted from her blog, O'Boy! Organic.
