The Efficient Mom Series: Snack Time

One of the most precious gifts we are given is time. There are certain areas of my life that I’ve done a pretty bad job of managing my time, but in most cases I’m always looking for ways to do better. As a mom, wife, cook, maid, taxi driver, volunteer, daughter, sister, pet owner and blogger (I’m sure I’m missing something) not managing my time well could lead to a hiccup in my daily routine. Hiccups will happen that’s life but I like to be prepared, if possible, for when those days come. 

Without fail, my kids want a snack when they wake up from their nap…and at least once in the morning after breakfast and once more before bed. It may not sound like a big deal but it can actually be quite annoying when you don’t have an idea in mind or anything on hand. Pre-packaged snacks may save you a bit of a headache but it won’t save you money!

I came across this inspiring blog post that gave me the motivation I needed to get some fresh ideas with a bit of organization. 

Within 30 minutes I had a refrigerator full of snacks and a pantry basket topped with a variety of snacks to choose from. Magic! 

Here’s a list of the snacks I made. You can find more snack ideas like the ones below by visiting here. I didn't follow the exact list of ingredients that are mentioned on that link because I wanted to utilize items I had in my pantry. You'll see an * by the ingredient where I made a substitute. 

Smores in a cup

*1/4 cup Graham Crackers

1/4 cup Small Marshmallows

1/4 cup Chocolate Graham Cracker Goldfish ($1.67)

Crunchy Bites

1/4 cup Whole Grain Goldfish ($1.67)

1/4 cup Pretzel Sticks ($1.48)

1/4 cup Nuts 

Strawberry Shortcake Bites

1/4 cup Strawberry Fruit Snacks ($2.25)

1/4 cup Mini Nilla wafers ($3.18)

Berry Trio

*1/4 cup grapes

1/4 cup blueberries ($4.48)

1/4 cup raspberries ($2.98)

Protein Pack

1/4 cup cheese squares ($2.50)

*beef snack bites ($3.98)

*whole grain Gold Fish 

Spring Garden Blend

3 to 4 Cherry Tomatoes ($2.94)

3 to 4 Sugar Snap Peas ($2.74)

3 to 4 Baby Carrots ($1.78)

1/4 cup of Ranch Dressing

I already had a few of the Gladware Mini Rounds so I only bought one package of 6 ($2.57). I also purchased a box of the Ziploc Snack Bags 100 count ($2.86). I already had the Ziploc divided lunch containers. I just love these because they are great for picnics or days at the park. I used the Ziploc snack bags for just about everything except the Protein Pack. For that recipe I used the Glad round containers. 

Once again, use what you have and do what's best for your wallet! On top of all of that I did purchase a bag of the little oranges ($3.98). If you don't see a price beside an item it's because I already had it at home.  I purchased all of these ingredients and packaging items for a total of $41.06 on April 21st and put it together that day and I still have snacks on hand! This by far as been the best solution to having snacks ready and on hand. The price may seem outrages but I'm pretty sure I have at least 2 more weeks worth of snacks. So when you figure $40 for a month of snacks for 3 snacks a day...yeah I think it's worth it. 

Any efficient moms out there? What are your snack solutions and ideas???