Healthy Snacks for Kids to Share at School
When I was little, we could bring absolutely anything to school for snacks and birthdays. It didn’t matter what was in it, whether the ingredients were healthy or if it was made at home. We brought whatever we wanted and nobody raised a fuss. The teachers knew if a particular child had special dietary needs and would switch the treat out for something different.
Nowadays, things are different. With the public at large being more health conscious, schools are growing more particular about what can be shared for snacks and treats on special occasions. It’s a great idea, but can make purchasing large quantities of goodies that are still fun and yummy a bit harder.
There are certain guidelines at my son’s school that present limitations as to what we can send. We’re not allowed to send anything which may contain peanuts, has to be microwaved, was prepared at home and is a sugary treat (except for birthdays). I don’t have a problem with any of these restrictions, because they’re set for the safety and protection of the students, but it does make the snack-sending a little trickier.
I’ve compiled a list of simple snacks that can be sent for large groups of kids, and will hopefully help you out if you’re on the same boat.
Fruit cups. Since it’s a lot of work for one teacher to chop up enough apples or peel enough oranges for an entire class, fruit cups, packed in juice, are a tasty and healthy treat that require minimal setup.
Bagged popcorn. While the teacher can’t leave the classroom to pop a bunch of microwave popcorn, bagged, pre-popped popcorn is a good alternative.
Cheese and crackers. Most stores carry prepackaged cheese sticks, cubes or cracker-sized, individually wrapped slices. Pair them with a box of Ritz crackers and you have yourself a healthy, hearty snack.
Individual cracker sandwich packages. These come in a variety of flavors, just avoid anything with nut butters.
Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grahams or Animal Crackers. These will satisfy little palates and tummies between meals, plus they’re fun to eat.
Fruit snacks. Check the box for sugar content. Some varieties are made with real fruit and actually have nutritional value, rather than just being cleverly packaged candy.
Sending snacks to school may be a tad trickier nowadays, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives to cupcakes and candy bars. If you take a look at the packaging and think of the snack in terms of what you’d want your child to eat at home, there really are a lot of delicious treats that your kids can share with their classmates.
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