Back to school, what's for snack?

My son is getting ready to head back to school - 1st Grade this year! My hubby is certain that with the changes Mrs. Obama is enforcing on school lunches he will come home starving.

I guess I am unsure how fighting for healthy foods in schools means your son will come home starving?

Be that as it may, favorite snacks for me and my nieces/nephews include fresh fruit, fresh Berries with Yogurt, Toast with Nutella on it (the kids in particular but I have been known to partake), and an english muffin Pizza (english muffin, little pizza or pasta sauce, some cheese, herbs, and fresh veggies, pop it in the oven under the broiler for a few minutes and snack away once cooled down a little.)

Oh I don't really know either. Hubby is the super at the school so he has to deal with all the changes first hand and I am just hearing little bits and pieces. You know how it is - sometimes people don't like change. We live in farm country where everyone is used to a heavy helping of meat and potatoes with a side of bread and butter so the kitchen staff is a little umm, shall we say uncomfortable.  I told him not to worry about. If people don't like the school lunch they can pack their kids lunch. FOR US this one meal my son eats at school does not make or break his overall diet. No offense meant - don't want to make this a political thing. I really should have read that more carefully - especially in COJ . My bad.

I like the English muffin pizza idea! I used to love those as a kid.

I have never bought Nutella and am afraid I'll eat the whole jar myself!

Oh I don't really know either. Hubby is the super at the school so he has to deal with all the changes first hand and I am just hearing little bits and pieces. You know how it is - sometimes people don't like change. We live in farm country where everyone is used to a heavy helping of meat and potatoes with a side of bread and butter so the kitchen staff is a little umm, shall we say uncomfortable.  I told him not to worry about. If people don't like the school lunch they can pack their kids lunch. FOR US this one meal my son eats at school does not make or break his overall diet. No offense meant - don't want to make this a political thing. I really should have read that more carefully - especially in COJ . My bad.

I like the English muffin pizza idea! I used to love those as a kid.

I have never bought Nutella and am afraid I'll eat the whole jar myself!

The way you phrased the question in the first place makes it so. And there was just a study in Pediatrics cited by NY Times today that links mandated school nutrition in states that have it with lower weight gain in kids.

What did you give your kids for snacks last year? You can still give them whatever you want. Or are you just looking for more ideas?

My kids (now 21 and 25) used to like carrot sticks with ranch dressing for dipping as well as mozzarella cheese sticks, cut up fruit (especially apples, sometimes with peanut butter) and the occasional microwavable ravioli if they were really hungry.  

I see a lot of stuff online about Bento boxes and kids lunches/snacks. The idea of giving them lots of variety. Google "bento box lunch ideas" for a ton of information.

Here's a good link: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/31/85-snacks-for-kids-and-adults/

Nutella can be um, addicting, if you are not careful. I also thought of what I liked when I was growing up one of my favorite snacks was always nuts in the shell which some fresh fruit. go outside and crack the nutes to get at the meat of them and after you eat some finish off with a nice crisp apple or a plum or two. this was a little easier to do as my grandparents had multiples of types of fruit and nut trees.

I guess I am unsure how fighting for healthy foods in schools means your son will come home starving?

I know exactly what you mean!  Let me try to explain this to all of you.  I have a child who has always been picky.  He is slowly becoming a breakfast eater with variety.  (For 5 years now it's been nothing but waffles and strawberries.)

For dinner, he's an ok eater.  He'll eat any kind of meat (as long as it has no flavoring such as BBQ, curry, etc), noodles, rice, and 3 types of frozen veggies which must be eaten with mustard to kill the taste. 

Lunch is the hardest thing to figure out for him.  He doesn't eat sandwiches of any kind, salads, or fruit with the exception for strawberries, grapes and an occasional apple.  Any type of italian food with the sauce mixed in is out the window.  Luckily, the lunch program at school serves chicken, hamburgers, an occasional hot dog, and pizza (whole grain, which is fine by him miraculously).  However, he does not eat the veggies/fruit because he doesn't like them.  Oh yeah, and he doesn't eat cheese.

Now, unless you want to come over and feed my child, please don't give me the scolding of "put it in front of his plate and don't give him anything else".  I've done that.  He'll go to bed hungry.  That's not a problem for him.  He will also wake up excessively early the next morning because he's hungry.  And, as an added bonus, if he really doesn't like the food he's forced to eat, he'll throw it up at the table.  (He picked up that talent from my husband who also did that when he was young.  Thanks, honey!)

Yes, more fruits and veggies are a good idea, but not for everyone.  I'm fortunate enough to have a very picky eater.  Being a teacher, I see this as a parallel: feeding all children the same meal with more fruits and veggies are good for some kids but not all, just like teaching all kids the same way is good for some kids but not all.

-I feel better now.  Thanks!  (And, if someone wants to come over and cook for him, please come over!  I'm at my wits end with this one!!!  His sister eats anything!)

- Refried bean dip, 1 can vegetarian low fat refried beans, 1 can green chilies, a shake of cumin and garlic powder and a little tomato sauce. Mix items well and place in an oven or microwave safe dish. Sprinkle with a bit of regular or lowfat cheese and heat. Serve with baked corn or pita chips and vegetable sticks.

- Make fruit skewers (whatever fruit is in season) and serve with yogurt or blended cottage cheese with a little drizzled honey or jam.

- You can skewer chicken or tofu chunks with vegetables then serve with your choice of dip or guacamole.

- Make your own trail mix, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, cereal and popcorn.

- Yogurt with cereal or granola mixed in.

- Quesadillas with vegetables, black beans, chicken or just cheese (depends on your son's preference). 

- Spread cream cheese on a tortilla then add vegetables and or lunch meat (for savory) or fruit (for sweet) roll up and slice      into pieces.

- Hard boiled eggs

I don't have kids so am not sure what this means. Can you elaborate?

I know exactly what you mean!  Let me try to explain this to all of you.  I have a child who has always been picky.  He is slowly becoming a breakfast eater with variety.  (For 5 years now it's been nothing but waffles and strawberries.)

For dinner, he's an ok eater.  He'll eat any kind of meat (as long as it has no flavoring such as BBQ, curry, etc), noodles, rice, and 3 types of frozen veggies which must be eaten with mustard to kill the taste. 

Lunch is the hardest thing to figure out for him.  He doesn't eat sandwiches of any kind, salads, or fruit with the exception for strawberries, grapes and an occasional apple.  Any type of italian food with the sauce mixed in is out the window.  Luckily, the lunch program at school serves chicken, hamburgers, an occasional hot dog, and pizza (whole grain, which is fine by him miraculously).  However, he does not eat the veggies/fruit because he doesn't like them.  Oh yeah, and he doesn't eat cheese.

Now, unless you want to come over and feed my child, please don't give me the scolding of "put it in front of his plate and don't give him anything else".  I've done that.  He'll go to bed hungry.  That's not a problem for him.  He will also wake up excessively early the next morning because he's hungry.  And, as an added bonus, if he really doesn't like the food he's forced to eat, he'll throw it up at the table.  (He picked up that talent from my husband who also did that when he was young.  Thanks, honey!)

Yes, more fruits and veggies are a good idea, but not for everyone.  I'm fortunate enough to have a very picky eater.  Being a teacher, I see this as a parallel: feeding all children the same meal with more fruits and veggies are good for some kids but not all, just like teaching all kids the same way is good for some kids but not all.

-I feel better now.  Thanks!  (And, if someone wants to come over and cook for him, please come over!  I'm at my wits end with this one!!!  His sister eats anything!)