Grocery budgets have been thrown out of the window in homes everywhere. Inflation has no end in sight, and food prices are on trend to spike even higher. It seems that those of us with children (from toddlers to teens) are being eaten out of house and home. Eating out is not attainable with refrigerators and pantries looking bare within hours of groceries being purchased.

What is a family to do? 

The key is to stop purchasing all of the ‘junk’ and keep healthy fats and proteins on hand - prepped and ready to grab. This may seem tedious, but if you spend just a few hours after shopping getting everything set up, you’ll keep your sanity and have an answer when you hear, “Mom, I’m hungry - what can I eat?”

Let’s not get too crazy, pretzels and chips still have their place, but the following food ideas will help keep your kids (and yourself) much fuller throughout the day.

The Best Snacks to Fill Up Hungry Kid Bellies

Top Your Fruits and Veggies

All fresh fruits and veggies can be made a bit more filling by adding healthy toppings such as almond or peanut butter, a slice of cheese, hummus, tzatziki, guacamole, or even fresh salsa. Picky eaters may want to dip instead of having it spread on top, but dipping can be fun too! Who doesn’t love a banana with peanut butter or a crunchy apple slice with a piece of Munster cheese on it?

Meat and Seafood

Bring on the meat! Organic, high-quality meat will fill a belly better than anything else, but with prices, check your local rachers for bulk buying. You can have meat sliced in the deli for easy roll-ups and wraps or use your grill, oven, or stovetop one afternoon to prep chicken strips, meatballs, shrimp, even steak bites. (Think about stocking up on pig, elk, moose, and turkey meat along with beef and chicken.)

Eggs and Nuts

Hard-boiled, scrambled, fried, it doesn’t matter how you cook those eggs, but eat them! Don't waste one precious egg, but get them in the daily meal plan the best you can. For the nuts, be careful with the choking hazard, but enjoy them with your kids as a great and filling snack.

Mix and Match Granola or Trail Mix

Granola bars work but set out bowls of granola mixings (toasted oats, popcorn, seeds, dried fruits, etc). Let them help mix and match - and done! 

Plain Old Veggies

Edamame, cucumbers, snap peas, sautéed asparagus, green beans, roasted cauliflower, the list goes on. It only takes 4-5 minutes tops for veggies to reach the perfect combination of crunch and doneness.

Fresh Fruit (and Dried Fruit)

Spend a few minutes washing your fruit and cutting stems, slicing melons, and portioning for the week. Dried fruit has a much higher sugar content than fresh options, so watch out - but it’s better than junk food (and cheaper than fresh produce).

Smoothies and Popsicles

Smoothies are easy and healthy! You can turn leftovers into homemade popsicles, too. However, there are plenty of natural popsicle options at the store, too!

Waffle Sandwiches

Protein waffles packed with peanut butter make a delicious snack.

Water

Skip the juices and make sure your kids (and you!!) are taking in enough water. Hours of playtime in the sun mean extra water consumption is needed. Kids often do not ask for enough water, which will leave them feeling much hungrier than they actually are!

Remember that kids generally like to eat things they help make. Include your kids in the kitchen whenever possible or start a garden and have them come up with recipe ideas!