Q: I noticed that you don’t really have any snack foods in your shopping. What do you do about snacks?
A: I have found that when we eat real food (meat, fruit and vegetables) along with some fat, my children are satisfied and eat less. With the low fat craze, many parents eliminate all fat from their children’s diets for fear of causing health problems, but children actually need healthy fat and protein for brain development. (If you would like an alternative view to the media’s attack on fat, you can read more at WestonAPrice.org.).
Another reason my children my snack less often is because they sleep later. Because we homeschool, we can get school done at any time during the day (as long as it all gets done!). My children usually get up around 10 a.m., so with breakfast that late, lunch is usually after 1 p.m. and they don’t have time to get hungry before dinner. 
With that being said, my children will sometimes ask for a snack in the afternoon, and we have several options available:
homemade popsicles made from juice or yogurt (recipe here)
popcorn (air popped with melted butter and salt)
apple slices with cinnamon or peanut butter
banana boats (recipe here)
frozen bananas
peanuts and raisins
whatever fruit is currently in season and on sale
The available snacks depend on what I have found on sale or what is leftover from a previous week’s grocery shopping. One week Walmart had banana chips on sale for $1.00 a bag, so I bought several bags and we added them to the snack stash.
I do not typically buy what most people would consider “snack” foods. I find that they are very expensive, provide little nutrition and rarely fill my kids up.
If you have young children, they will probably eat smaller meals more frequently. In my experience, though, some children eat very little real food at meals and then ask for snack foods later because they prefer the taste. If you have big snackers, you might want to look at the amount of carbohydrates they consume and watch your children for a couple of days to see if they are eating “snack” foods instead of meals.
If you do choose to buy snack foods, a great way to save money is to buy the larger size containers and divide them into snack bags or other plastic containers. You’ll pay much less per serving and you can usually reuse the bags. (These were purchased for a field trip. I don’t usually buy chips and cheese puffs unless it’s a special event.)
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{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }
we chop up broccoli, carrots, and celery. Leave them in the fridge and the kids grab those as a quick snack. We also do goldfish crackers.
Great idea!
Although our diet is not gluten-free, I do try to keep our snacking to a minimum and on the healthier side. I learned from my own upbringing that when you bring a “yummy” sugar loaded snack (or cereal) into the house, it usually disappears far too quickly. I like to keep my snacks “boring.” I think this teaches the kids that snacking is not for boredom, but for necessity. The snack holds you over until the next meal. Make no mistake. If the kids are hungry, I am pleased to feed them, I am just trying to teach them the value of portion (and self) control. Snacks in my house are pretzels (often on sale $1/bag), plain popcorn, cheese (sliced from the price club sized brick of cheddar i buy biweekly), and green apples (or other fruit if it is in season). The simplicity of our snacks is little burden on my grocery budget, and on the occasions when I may make cookies or by something fun, I think they are more appreciative.
Thanks for all of your great tips, I really enjoy reading your blog, and hope to implement your tips into our budgeting practices!
I agree with you Christian. Keeping the snacks boring is a good thing.
My kids really appreciate when we are able to get “special” snacks on sale like Edy’s Fruit Bars (one of our faves).
Great ideas! I do buy one packaged snack of choice for each person in my family based on sales/coupons and placed on the list before leaving for the store. Otherwise we snack on fresh fruit and veggies and airpopped popcorn. I also use dessert as a snack rather than serving with a meal.
First I have to say how wonderful it felt to read that y’all don’t do breakfast till around 10. That just makes me feel so much better. We sleep late here also. My four year old sleeps till about 8 (I pay for it by her being up later) So we don’t eat breakfast till later in the morning either. In fact our schedule runs a lot like the one you said.
Love the snack ideas! Especially the buying in ‘bulk’ and separating them into small portions.
That’s funny Felicia, I almost didn’t write it because I just knew someone would make a negative comment, but I decided to just tell it like it is.
I am glad that everyone has proved you wrong so far! =) And I am super glad you told it like it is.
I’m glad she did, too! That’s pretty much how it is in our homeschooling home, too… I think mainly because I am currently hypothyroid and get most of my energy after 2:00. It does sometimes put us on a bit of a different schedule than my husband who gets up very early, but I’ll take energy any time I can get it!
Me, too! We homeschool as well and our oldest (age 6) is on the gymnastics team and trains for 9hours per week. During the summer it is in the mornings and not a biggie…but during the school year, it goes from 5p-8p. School gets out at 330p here and I don’t know how the older kiddos are doing homework and gymnastics and getting enough rest…but I’m so so SO glad that she is able to sleep in a little the next day when she needs to (sometimes until 9a). I occasionally feel like we are slacking with our schedule being so different from the ‘norm’ of my friends who have kiddos in school…but, honestly, I mostly just love it.
We are in our 15th year of homeschooling. Many people have made comments to me in the past that when my kids get older, they will have trouble getting up and being on a schedule for a job. I proved that wrong because my 2 older daughters are 23 and 25 and have no trouble staying on whatever schedule they need to be on. One has graduated college and is working and the other one will graduate in May 2013. We’ve always started school around 10 or so depending on the child. So I will continue with my flexible schedule for my 14 & 16 yr old kids. I say, whatever works for your family!
Thanks so much for the great answers! I like the ideas. I think many times my children snack out of being bored, and it drives me nuts since I have always struggled with my weight. I don’t want them to turn to food for anything but nourishment!
I have a toddler and an infant, so we snack frequently. Well, it more like we graze throughout the day. I have a shelf in the pantry at eye level for my toddler that is full of healthy choices, like dried fruit, whole wheat crackers, home made granola bars, nuts and seeds, and whole grain, low sugar cereal. He is free to choose from that shelve anytime during the day, and usually in any amount as long as his last meal was a full one (meaning, he ate his veggies). In the fridge my toddler knows he can have any fruit or veggies he finds, sliced cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese. We adore home made yogurt pops or whole fruit pops. And, my infant loves frozen yogurt drops. (I just put yogurt into a pastry bag and make drops and freeze them on a cookie sheet, then transfer them into a baggie). I love the idea of pre-portioning the snacks, which is something I will try when my kiddies are a bit older.
I can’t believe you are saying that now that your kids are teens they don’t snack much – I sure wish i could say the same. My 1 teen snacks more than the other 3 combined LOL. I thought that was normal, hmm, might have to feed him more at meals and institute a no snacking policy as he wants to just eat all day. He is skinny as a rail though, so I usually let him since he really does need to gain weight.
Have you tried adding more fat and protein to his diet? Teens actually need more fat and protein than adults because they are growing and changing so quickly. I know that if I feed my kids lots of carbs with little fat or protein they are constantly hungry. Just a thought.
My 14 yr old son is 5’9″ and 28 waist and it seems he is constantly eating. He is my youngest and only boy. Any ideas on higher protein lunches and snacks? Never had a problem with the 3 girls.
Protein and fat can help fill him up. Trail mix with more nuts than fruit, beef jerky, cheese sticks with a slice of lunch meat, peanut butter on celery or crackers are just a few ideas.
My son was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease and really needs to gain weight, too. The GI doctors and the nutritionist actually strongly discouraged grazing and instead recommended instituting a schedule of 3 meals + 2 snacks. They said that we actually eat less food when it’s frequent throughout the day (which is why it’s a good plan for adults who want to control weight). So far it’s worked really well for us – I hope this helps you!
For the longest time I struggled to maintain a homeschool “schedule” if you will, dragging the kids out to breakfast by 8:30. Then they would take two bites and want to move on to school stuff… and then they’d ask for a snack by about 10:30 or 11:00. Only just recently I threw expectations out the window. Now they sleep til about 9:00, do some school and THEN we have brunch at around 11:00. They have snacks whenever they are hungry up until around 3:00 because we eat dinner at 5ish. Not only does brunch work for us but it honestly saves money and keeps them from wasting food.
As an aside, I have a nephew who would prefer to snack about every 2 hours than ever having to eat a big meal. He’s just naturally a grazer, but he does need protein in his snacks. I struggle when he’s here with us because I feel like he never stops eating. He really doesn’t eat a lot, just constantly. It’s just his thing. I don’t buy snack foods so he has to stick with fruit, granola, etc or make himself a half of a sandwich. I have learned to bake some muffins or something before he comes though.
I am really enjoying this blog along with a few others. There are so many inspiring women out there who I am learning alot from. I have a family of seven and took the summer off, to take a break and be with my kids. Our van broke down and needs a new transmission. Needless to say, that left us in a pinch. After visiting your blog, I found it actually quite manageable to cut down our food budget. I went shopping on Wednesday and spent just over $200 for the next two weeks. I did find that the chips I bought because they were bogo, were a waste of money. The family devoured them and were still “hungry”. I could have spent that money on “food” and been much better off. Lesson learned. It pays to really pay attention to what you are eating and the reactions and moods after you are done. I also love http://www.westonaprice.org. Very helpful information. You have been an inspiration to me. Thank you!!
Hi Anna! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Sorry about your transmission problem, but I’m glad that you are finding a way to pay for it by cutting down your spending in other areas. I hope you continue to find helpful ideas and inspiration here.
My four-year-old is a walking appetite so she is constantly asking for snacks. She picks at breakfast but every other meal is devoured and if she likes what we are having, she has a bigger portion than me. Her daddy is 6’5” and she’s one of those kids people assume is older than she really is just because she is so tall for her age, so I think I’m just feeding a super grower. I found she has two types of hunger: the I’m a little bit bored so I’ll ask for food stage, which can normally be combated by only giving her vegetable options and the I’m so hungry I’m going to go into the kitchen, grab that container of green beans and eat it cold stage. She recently figured out the microwave and has been reheating brown rice and pasta for herself (the sort of leftovers that are usually in our fridge). I think what usually defines snacks is “easy” because, at least for me, Coryn usually wants them when I’m doing something else and don’t want to stop to cook, so lately, with her new found skills, I’ve just been telling her, “you can have whatever you want if you can get it yourself.” There are usually bananas and carrots in the produce drawer, so that’s usually what she gets. Sometimes, though, as mentioned, she’ll actually heat up her own leftovers.
Ah, the “get it yourself” stage-so nice!
Thank you for sharing your tips on how to spend less! Currently we are struggling as we are paying for cobra(health insurance) until we can find an alternative…nearly $1200 a month and also we have chosen to send our children to a private Christian school which is also quite a large sum of money vs. the public schools in our area. Reading your posts have put needs vs. wants into perspective for me. We really stuggle with giving into our wants (food wise mostly with eating out etc..) Which hasn’t helped our pocket book or mine or my husband’s weight for that matter! I think I’m going to sit down and devise a better plan for our food budget this week. You’ve given me a lot of great ideas. Thank you for sharing. God bless!
Wow–that insurance amount sounds crazy! I wonder if a health savings plan would be a better idea for you. You can check Dave Ramsey’s site for an insurance ELP (endorsed local provider) and they can explain how it works.
Thanks for taking the time to let me know that you found the site helpful Amanda. Blessings!
i recently found your page and i love it! so many helpful tips from so many wonderful women! we recently moved and my husband said he would love for me to try to be a stay at home mom for awhile. we both believe having an involved family is more important than the extra money. we are a family of four living off just one income. since reading all of the tips, i have managed to spend less than $80/week at the grocery for the past month! we don’t buy meat (our family butchers our own pork, beef, deer, and chicken) so that makes us able to cut down a lot on our grocery bill. i would suggest that anyone who can find a local butcher, etc who offers this service. we averaged it out and my whole family could eat as much meat as they like all day long and we only spend about $7/week on it! talk about wonderful in a house full of meat eaters!!! keep the wonderful advice coming everyone!!
$80 a week is great–congratulations! Good to know another carnivorous family.
I have a very versatile recipe I thought might interest some:
Fruity Baked Oatmeal by Taste of Home
6 cups quick oats ( I buy in bulk for 59 cents / lb )
2 cups brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup butter ( melted)
Mix all well. Add about one and a half cups of fresh or frozen fruits. I use combos of diced apples and peaches, and a handful or so of blueberries. Stir them in gently.
Pour into 13 x 9 greased pan and bake 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean.
Notes: fresh from oven served with milk = breakfast
Cooled and cut into serving size squares and wrapped in Saran – I put these in freezer. A frozen serving in lunch bag = snack or dessert because I found these hold together quite well almost like a really good tasting granola bar. A frozen serving microwaved a bit and served with milk = quick easy breakfast.
I freeze fresh fruits in season and put in ziplocks. Even apples or peaches can be sliced and frozen, when I want 1/2 cup or so of them I just open the bag, cut off a hunk and reseal. The frozen chunk can then be diced up for the recipe.
I realize there is sugars etc in this recipe but to me still a healthier treat now and then than buying processed junk food.
Enjoy!!
Thanks Cindy!
Just want to say, my kids love this recipe for breakfast and for lunch box snacks.. thanks so much!
We don’t normally snack at our house either, but since I am pregnant with diabetes, I have to snack 3 times a day in addition to 3 meals. I am doing a lot of cheese sticks and milk for snacks. My son likes chocolate milk, so he gets to snack on a glass of chocolate milk. Occasionally I make my own chocolate syrup (which really needs to be regularly), and I feel better about letting him have chocolate milk when I do. And it saves me $2 per bottle of Hershey’s…
Congratulations on your pregnancy! It is so important to eat enough protein when you are pregnant, so it’s definitely a time to “break” the no snacking rule.
I have never made my own chocolate syrup. Do you have a recipe?
I got my recipe from Small Notebook.
Link http://smallnotebook.org/2009/07/10/homemade-chocolate-syrup/
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Ingredients
½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Mix the cocoa powder and the water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa. Add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Boil for 3 minutes over medium heat. Be careful not to let it get too hot and boil over! Add the salt and the vanilla. Let cool. Pour into a clean glass jar, and store in the refrigerator. Keeps for several months, but trust me it will be gone before then. Yields two cups.
The result is very rich, so I only use a teaspoon for a glass of chocolate milk.
Thanks so much Jennifer!
Did your kids ever grow up eating the more expensive snack foods or has it always been a special occasion splurge for you guys? I grew up on junk food (and I LOVE IT, I can’t resist a bag of chips if it’s on sale, I just can’t. And I’m hardly sorry about it) but I am trying to pull myself away from it. What do you do for them if they want a salty snack instead of fruit? I will snack on fruit every now and again, but I find my snacky cravings are generally geared around something salty and crunchy.
We eat air-popped popcorn with butter and salt often, and I also buy pretzels or chips from time to time. I usually have cashews around as well.
They can also use their own money to buy more expensive snacks when we are running errands. I like to make them think about the cost in choosing an expensive snack since it is not a life necessity.
I gotta be honest. I tried the pre-portioned thing and it completely failed at my house. I didn’t like using all those baggies (although I did wash and re-use them). Also I found my kids ate a lot more snacks than they did before. For example I buy those extra-large boxes of goldfishes and it lasted about 3-4 weeks when I pre-portioned them in baggies but it lasts about 2 months if I don’t. I loved the idea, mainly for convenience and portion control, but it didn’t work for me. I guess it’s easier to just pour some in a bowl for them. Thank you for the snack ideas though! I needed some fresh ones.
Thanks for sharing that perspective Mary. The important thing is to find what works best for your family, right?
I just wonder if you have a mortgage payment? Thanks
We are currently renting Shelby.
I have given my kids leave to eat all the baby carrots they want. I love when I can find them for around $1 a bag. I know they’re more expensive than bigger carrots but it is one of my few nods to “pre-packaged” foods. Eventually I’ll get around to cutting those up too!
Peanut butter and pickles are also big on my kids’ lists. Cheese is on my husband’s list. He is my grocery-budget downfall. His got-to-have favorites include cheese, chips, olives, deli-sliced meats, diet Coke, coffee… If I don’t buy it, he’ll go pick some up for himself. I save gobs on groceries when he is out of town.
One thing I do often get that is pricey for snacks is the individual packs of Greek yogurt. Those run $1 each at our store (it’s a military store, out in town they run closer to $1.20 or $1.30 each) so they’re expensive but I buy two flavors each for the week and when it’s gone, it’s gone. I am learning to make protein bars too… Need to fill the four boys more easily than I do!
Do you have any retirement accounts? Thanks.
Yes, my husband and I both have accounts. Mine was created when I worked full time and I have not added anything to it since, but I hopefully will get to that point.
I have a preschooler and a toddler and we do snack, but generally it is fruit and cheese, “ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and raisins/dried cranberries on top), pepperoni sticks, or I occasionally make granola bars or muffins to have on hand for snacks.
I do have a box of healthier fruit snacks, and another of the Annie’s bunny crackers/cookies that I keep on hand for the weeks that we have had a busy Saturday and I don’t get a chance to pack snacks for church on Sunday morning. (We are at church for 3 hours, starting right before lunch, so my kids do need snacks) What I have found works wonders is keeping these snacks downstairs in the extra pantry with my food storage. When I have snacks like this in my kitchen pantry, I tend to think “Oh, this is easier than making a snack, we’ll just do this today” and things disappear too quickly. But when I have to go to the effort of going downstairs to get them, it helps ensure they stay there for “sometimes” treats. Just a little tip for anyone who maybe enjoys buying snacky foods occasionally, but finds they disappear too quickly. I do the same thing with chips or the like when I buy them (which isn’t often).
What would your suggestions be for staying on a budget when food allergies are prevalent in the household? All the foods I use to work around allergies are expensive, and rarely, if ever go on sale/have coupons. Wheat, oats, and most tree nuts are out completely; soy, eggs, apple, and corn are used in minimal amounts, if ever (not including eggs for baking).
My husband would rather have meat with a side of meat than to have any sides or veggies (apart from the occasional side of white rice). I love pasta dishes, casseroles, and soups to stretch out the meat used in a single meal – hubby only wants them once in a blue moon. The handful of veggies that we do eat gets boring, and hubby won’t touch salads no matter how they are topped or what dressings are offered.
I still buy bread for the kids to eat sandwiches as I’ve yet to master baking wheat free bread that makes good sandwiches. The kids eat other snacks with wheat in them as well, but I use no wheat in cooking. There are many times I feel as though I’m fixing 3 different meals so that the four of us can eat. I’ve done everything I can to cut out extras, buy as much on sale/with coupons as possible, but our grocery bill still tops out over $650 a month for two adults and two toddlers.
Hi Melissa! It is really a challenge when you have picky eaters and allergy issues. I am with you on the purchasing rather than making gluten free bread, but there are very often coupons for gf bread. Check my gf coupon post each week: http://thepeacefulmom.com/category/gluten-free-coupons/.
We are big meat eaters too, but I only buy it on sale and purchase enough to last until the next sale or at least as much as I can afford that week. I have grocery saving tips here: http://thepeacefulmom.com/save-money-on-groceries/ and in my ebook Save More Clip Less here: http://bit.ly/ozM04I. I hope that helps.