I can’t believe school starts this week! Where did the summer go? While my son was fishing in Alaska, I was busy at home getting ready for the first week of school. Here are some healthier products I found (some new and some old favorites) to pack in his lunch and have for quick snacks.
I haven’t been to Trader Joe’s in a while and I saw this bar and thought I would try it out! At only 12 gm Carb, 4 gm fiber, 7 gm protein, and lots of healthy fat, this bar is great and has such clean ingredients! It would make a great after school snack for kids providing plenty of energy for after school activities! It would also come in handy on a camping trip, a long hike, a snack after a long run or vigorous activity, or as an emergency meal replace for travel. It is loaded with healthy fats and clean ingredients including nuts, seeds, and coconut. I really like the taste as it is not too sweet. I will be buying more of these for sure. Parents, if you are trying to loose weight, don’t over do these as they have 360 calories per bar.
I also visited Costco and found several new products.
Of course bananas are a great quick snack for kids and an easy addition for lunches. They provide a dose of healthy carbohydrate which is needed after a long day of school to fuel all of those extra-curricular activities.
I found a new milk called Bananamilk. It is basically water blended with fresh bananas and has a cinnamon flavor and taste. With 7 gm carb per cup, I thought it would be a little too sweet for me but would be great for kids as a snack or maybe to add to smoothies. 
These are so easy to grab and throw in lunches or for a quick after school snack. Apples are always high on the dirty dozen list so always buy organic!
Baby carrots are easy to pack in a zip lock or throw in a bowl with a quick dip. I like to use hummus or even avocado dip. And you can never go wrong with any of the Primal Kitchen salad dressings!
I send Thomas with a sandwich on most days so I was happy to find this sliced organic cheese. I had not seen this previously and had to usually slice my own. This will be a time-saver!
24 Eggs!!! Boiled, Peeled, and Organic! So easy and convenient for snack, breakfast, add to salads, add to salmon salad, egg salad, etc.
Check out these crunchy dried beets. The ONLY ingredient is beet! How clean is that? They are delicious and can replace chips!
The dried broccoli is also very good! An excellent chip replacement or snack. They are made with broccoli and palm oil. Nothing else!
One last thing I wanted to mention were the organic tubes of yogurt. They are a good size to add to lunch and are organic. I am not completely happy with the ingredients but they are only 2 oz. My son often asks for yogurt so these will serve a purpose. I will not buy them regularly.
Please comment and share your favorite kids snacks, lunches, and ideas! I would love to hear from you!
Caroline Gilmore, RD, LDN, IFNCP 