“Dad, I’m hungry!” followed by the correct response of “Hi Hungry, I’m Dad” might win you Dad Joke of the Year, but as their grumbling bellies grow louder you better get a snack ready because these kids aren’t going to feed themselves… or are they?
Snack Stations are an ideal way of cutting down on the sometimes incessant moans and groans for food (usually within minutes of lunch!) that come with parenting, particularly on school holidays during which a child’s appetite magically doubles or triples.
Creating your own station takes only a few minutes and will save so much time in the long run as you don’t have to stop whatever you’re doing to rummage through the pantry for snacks. Children will also get a sense of independence when they are asked to manage their own food intake for the day, and will get a very quick lesson in decisions and consequences if they plough through their food in the morning and have none left for the afternoon!
Make your own
If you don’t have a spare container at home head to your local shops, a discount store, or even IKEA to pick one up. It’s a good idea to measure the space you want it to fit in first! You could put it in the fridge or the pantry, depending on what type of snacks you’d like to offer.
A clear container will let your kids see the snacks they are after and reduce the likelihood of them pulling out the entire thing and rummaging through, creating a mess!
If you have more than one child and enough space, a labelled or colour coded container per child will help stop disagreements over who gets to eat what.
I don’t have space!
Out of space in the pantry? No space in the fridge? No problem! Some alternatives to consider are:
- A low drawer in the kitchen
- An over the door shoe hanger
- A trolley like the Raskog from IKEA
- A stand alone storage tower
- A basket on the counter
Snack ideas
It’s a great idea to mix up the snacks so there is plenty of variety. We don’t like to eat the same thing and our kids are no different. Here are some ideas depending on where you place your Snack Station.
Fridge food:
- Yoghurt
- Cheese sticks
- Twiggy sticks
- Bliss Balls
- Cheese dippers
- Cut up fruit and vegetables with dip
- Hard boiled eggs
Pantry food:
- Crackers
- Muesli bars
- Whole fruit
- Biscuits or chips
- Dry cereal
- Muffins
- Dried fruit
Sustainable snacks
Just because you’re creating a Snack Station, it doesn’t mean everything has to be pre-packaged or put in disposable sandwich bags that end up going straight to landfill. Instead of buying single serve packets of chips, buy a large box and create the portions yourself using reusable bags or Nude Food containers from your local supermarket. This will not only save the environment, it will save you money, too.
Over to you
Snack Stations have the potential to help your household run a little more smoothly and let you get on with your day, whether you’re working from home or are having a well deserved break on the couch with your feet up.
Would you use a Snack Station in your house? What types of snacks would your kids eat? Or do you prefer to be in charge of the snack situation so you can monitor their eating habits more closely?
Tag your #snackstation on Instagram so we can all get some inspiration!
Did you know our Snackies are the perfect size snack container?
