I've been stuck under a pile grading and swimming through several different projects at the lab, so our snack time is anything but leisurely right now.   Here's one way that we're getting our snack fix despite the total lack of kitchen time.  Ready made snacks are a great way to go when you don't have time to make your own, and if you pay attention to the ingredients label you can still make them healthy. 

This might be a bad thing to admit for a natural foods junkie, but I'm a Costco fanatic.  It's in my blood- my Dad used to take us there every weekend for a freebie "lunch", in which we'd gorge ourselves on free samples while strolling down the aisles.  Its a hot topic of conversation at family gatherings- what we got at Costco and how much we love it.  Initially I resisted getting a membership, despite the family pressure,  because I was trying to do the local, buy-just-what-you-need thing.  Then my second kid was born and then the savings in diapers and wipes was just too good to pass up when budgeting for two kids in daycare.  And that's when I discovered that there are some really great products there for even a healthnutty family like mine, like organic soy milk and cereal at a great price. 

One of my favorite new finds are Aussie Bites, mini muffins that consist of rolled oats, coconut, dried fruit, flax and sunflower seeds.  They're filling and yet delicious all at once.  And the long list of whole grain products and seeds make these muffins burst with nutrients, in particular omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.  Translation- these are great for keeping your kids energized and helps with brain function. 

Around here these are the go-to snack in the morning.  They're satisfying enough to hold my kids over during errands, and a great snack first thing in the morning if it's going to be a little while before breakfast. 

The only problem- we can polish off a container (which has 32 tasty muffins) of these in a few days.  Guess I'll just have to go to Costco again... 

Here's a great snack that only involves tossing a ready made snack in the freezer.  Before you know it, you'll have some great snacks to beat the heat with.

This snack comes from my Mother-in-law.  We spent this past weekend with them and my little boy fell and hit his mouth on the edge of a wagon.  She pulled out a frozen yogurt on the go (she had both Go-gurt, which is a yoplait variety and YoKids, which is an organic Stoneyfield variety) as a palatable first aid measure.  It worked, he was happy and his mouth didn't swell as much as it would have otherwise.

But aside from a first aid measure (as practical a snack as that is, hopefully doesn't come in handy too often), this is also a great snack for everyone.  My woundless daughter instantly wanted one, and as he continued to snack on them for the next day or so while his gums healed, she insisted on having one alongside him.   I don't think it was in sibling solidarity, but more so because they're so tasty.  The freezer was cleaned out by the time that we left, and my little boy was a happy camper.  And he had a healthy dose of calcium to boot.