Have the kids had a good start to the new school year? Mine have been loving it, but man I was not ready for the hectic schedule of the school year.  It's so hard to get back in the swing of things! During the busy school and sports seasons, I like to take some time each weekend and prepare foods to take with us and pack up for the week ahead. It helps tremendously with time management during our busy days. We also like to use these snacks for the kids’ lunches. Additionally, most of them are easy to pack up in their lunchboxes, so they make perfect lunch additions. One of my favorite things though, about making these pre-made snacks is that I invite the kids into the kitchen to help me make them. It’s a fun bonding session that also helps keep us organized.

Having yummy pre-made snacks on hand are great for times when we are hanging out at home and wanting a snack, but not wanting to put a lot of time and effort into that snack. Like yesterday, when my kiddos were hanging out on their super cute animal stools (did you check them out yet?) and watching movies, our tasty pre-made snacks came in handy! I really love to take time with my kids and frankly, it kinda sucks to have to walk away from them to prep their snacks. Sometimes I just want to grab something and sit back down with them. My time with them is precious and I want to be with them any chance I get.

Here are some of my kids’ favorite pre-made snacks that we make on a regular basis:

• No Bake Monster Cookie Bites - These No Bake Monster Cookie Bites are great for lunches or on the road! Super easy and quick to make, the kids can even jump in on making these.
  • Of course I always keep these fun dessert plates on hand for the kids to snack on these Monster Cookie Bites
• Buffalo Chex Mix - I have a 11 year old boy at home that loves Chex Mix, so I try to keep it on hand to snack on often. This Buffalo Chex Mix is a great spin on the classic snack and keeps my kiddo happy. This mix is a staple in the kids’ lunch menu.
  • I serve these in fun paper fluted cups, because, well, they are just the right size for a serving of this Chex Mix, plus I don’t have to do dishes!
• Peanut Butter Maple Snack Mix - This tasty snack mix is packed full of flavor and protein and the kids just love it. I like to serve this for snack time and send in snack size bags for the kids lunch too. (You can easily leave the peanuts out of this recipe in the case of food allergies.)
  • I use the paper fluted cups for serving this too! (Any opportunity to not do dishes, you know what I mean?)
• Ham and Egg Cups - I love prepping these Ham and Egg Cups to keep plenty of nutritious and protein filled snacks on hand. They also pack well in kids’ cold lunches! And of course, they are also really great for on-the-go breakfasts for those days when you are struggling to make it out the door in time.
  • I like to use these mini loaf pans to cook these. I then cut the loaf in half and it works for two meals.
• Blueberry Crumble Bars - These blueberry crumble bars work for breakfast, snack time or dessert. They are full of flavor and honestly, could be made with any type of berries. Plus, mom and dad can enjoy them with a cup of coffee on the side. Yum!
  • This superstone® sicilian pizza stone is perfect for making these (and so many more delicious treats and meals)
• Low Carb Keto Protein Cookie Dough Bites - If you are a low carb household, or you are prepping food for a diabetic, these Low Carb Keto Protein Cookie Dough Bites are a great snack option for you! These are great for lunches and school lunch times too.
  • Again, these cute dessert plates are great for serving these.
• Banana Chocolate Muffins - When talking about pre-made snacks, muffins always have to make the list, am I right? This is a great snack for on the go, breakfast in a hurry, or lunch bonus!
  • Don’t forget to grab these fluted baking cups to bake your muffins in!

Having pre-made snacks on hand for the kids is actually really beneficial for quite a few reasons. I know you have heard of plenty of benefits to meal planning and prepping in general, it’s the same. It is really nice to have foods on hand all the time, pre-cooking meals and snacks is always a good idea as It really is a time and money saver in general.