I don’t know about you guys, but my kids are always asking for a snack, even when they’ve just had one! My bag is packed with food all the time. I’m constantly trying to find new recipes for quick snacks or lunches. I don’t mind getting them treats here and there when we’re having a day out, but we are an active family so it can get a little costly.
Here’s a few ideas to keep you going over the holidays ( yes, half term is approaching already!) …
- Chicken pastries – These go down a treat with the whole family! I usually do a big batch of chicken mix, then that evening I can whiz up some pancakes and fill them, and the day we are going out I just buy some readymade pastry, roll them up whilst the kids are having breakfast and they are ready by the time I need to pack the picnic bag.
- Sausage rolls – these can be veggie or meat. I buy beef halal sausages from a not so local butcher! But they are so worth it! I take the mince out and wrap in the pastry. For the veggie ones I use quorn mince from the fridge aisle, season it and wrap in the pastry to cook.
- Banana muffins – who doesn’t love these! We usually have these as a mid-morning snack, they are great for freezing so you can take them out a couple of hours before you want to eat them.
- Flapjacks – fab for a quick energy fix, and they can be healthy! I don’t usually use any syrup in mine, just a banana and a little honey, you can add so many different ingredients in them so the kids will never get bored.
- Tuna pasta – we love this! I don’t need to cook anything apart from the pasta, mix some tuna, mayo and seasoning with some salad and your good to go!
- Veggies with dips – my kids love dips, so we’ve always got sour cream and chive or homemade hummus in the fridge!
- Energy balls – I mean they just get excited because they look cool! Just blend up some dates, chia seeds and nuts, and make into bitesize balls, they’ll love them!
How to pack your bag?
I bought a cool bag from Next a few years ago, you can get them online from any shop that does outdoor wear. It’s a cool bag as a rucksack with pockets at the side to keep drinks and our picnic mat, I usually manage to fit everything in with a couple of ice packs and it just means my hands are free!
I hope this helps for your crammed days ahead in the holidays! Please feel free to share your ideas…