Virtual School Snacks for Kids!

What are you feeding your children while at home in virtual school? Do you feel your kids are eating more these days? Do you order in some days when you are just done with cooking all the time? Being home a lot can be frustrating and a blessing at the same time.

In our home the kids are getting healthy and sweet treats to keep them going. We have plates of celery, raw pepper, apple, pear, orange, plumb, cucumber and carrot slices, as well as grapes, nuts, seeds, bananas and blueberries. (I’ve got to get the berries when I can get them here)…as well as pretzel sticks, homemade cookies and chocolate milk.

Here are some nutritional advantages of virtual school:

Hot Lunch: I don’t know about you, but I feel being at home gives them better food choices than what we can pack in a kid’s lunch. For instance they can have soup for lunch which would not be possible when a lunch is packed for school. We have spaghetti, leftover dinner and hot dogs and fries on some days.

We Eat Breakfast: My older child could not get up and get ready for school as well as eat. He just didn’t feel like eating so early in the morning. Now, he can eat just before class starts or after the start of his lessons. This makes me really happy. I know he’s eating.

We Eat Lunch: Sometimes I would find my kid’s lunch box lunch mostly untouched. I’d ask what happened during lunchtime and find out he talked most of his way through lunch!

Snack Control: Since we are with our kids most of the day, we can monitor their sweets intake and push the veges and fruits instead.

Here are some disadvantages of virtual school:

Overeating/Food is Around: Since we are in our homes, food is always accessible. This may be hard for some kids as they want to eat more and know that the kitchen is right there. We need to encourage lunchtime for the big meal and snack breaks for the small meal. No grazing (eating) through class time.

Sugary Snacks: This is always something to be overcome, however they are a comfort food. If a kid is stressed they may want to go after candy, chocolate, etc. Try keeping some juice pops you make out of juice yourself handy, as well as teach sugar goes with protein. Always remember to put a sugary snack with a glass of milk (cow, soy) as they have the most protein, or cheese, or my family’s favorite, a spoon of almond butter. Go ahead! Get a big spoon and scoop peanut butter or another nut butter out for a great treat along with that chocolate bar.

Food Shortage: You may be in a home that doesn’t have a lot of food. You rely on school to provide your children with their lunch. For you there should be programs you can sign up for in your school district where you or your kids can pick up your kid’s lunch everyday. Check out places of worship also involved in providing lunches for kids. When my family used food stamps for a few years to get us through, we’d often have cans of tuna, bread, bananas, sardines (very healthy), nut butters and crackers on hand, as well as cheese. If you stock up on protein, veges and fruits you are less likely to go for sugar.