# ideas for preschool snack?



## coopnwhitsmommy

We are supposed to take snack to preschool next week. THey provide Juice so I just need to bring the food part. Since I know they will already have something sweet (juice) I don't want to take something sweet. I want to take something healthy, But what my 3yr old will eat and what the average 3yr old will eat are two vastly different things! :LOL Suggestions are welcome!!


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## dziejen

My dd eats a variety of foods but I wasn't sure about the other preschoolers so last year we had 2 turns bringing snack and we brought bagels one time (with cream cheese on the side) and cut fresh fruit the other time (couple kinds of melon, berries, etc.). Still haven't decided what we will bring this time and we have snack duty next Wednesday!! Guess I'll watch this thread for some good ideas!


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## Periwinkle

Mini paper cups filled with homemade "gorp". HUGE hit for my kids. If you can't take nuts in your preschool, then maybe a homemade chex mix type snack (e.g., mini pretzels, mini cereal like chex or similar, raisins, etc.) , again in the mini cups because everyone knows food tastes better when a) you don't have to share it and b) it comes in a paper cup.


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## coopnwhitsmommy

ummm what is gorp?


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## aisling

our favorite snacks we have received for our preschool class snacks are:

cheese sticks (string cheese)

homemade ww bread

fruit salad

chips and salsa (not the *best* nutritionally, and if the teachers are picky or snack time is super short it might not be a good idea, but this was SO good for their fine motor skills! :LOL)

um, we do also get a lot of graham crackers and they are always a big hit. Not ideal , but they go over well, aren't too expensive and are far from the worst snack we have gotten!

Just a few ideas.


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## Periwinkle

Quote:


Originally Posted by *coopnwhitsmommy*
ummm what is gorp?

Um, only the best stuff ever made! :LOL Sorry, must be a regional term.

Anyway, GORP stands for (I believe) Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, but basically it has evolved to mean any kind of dried fruit and nut-based trail mix. Here's what I put in mine:

peanuts
sunflower seeds (roasted/salted)
raisins
dried cranberries
carob chips

I found this online with detailed recipes:

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/food/foo_gorp.htm


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## alegna

Ants on a log is always a big hit with the preschool crowd- celery sticks spread/filled with peanut butter or cream cheese with raisins on top.

-Angela


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## coopnwhitsmommy

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Periwinkle*
Um, only the best stuff ever made! :LOL Sorry, must be a regional term.

Anyway, GORP stands for (I believe) Good Old Raisins and Peanuts, but basically it has evolved to mean any kind of dried fruit and nut-based trail mix. Here's what I put in mine:

peanuts
sunflower seeds (roasted/salted)
raisins
dried cranberries
carob chips

I found this online with detailed recipes:

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/food/foo_gorp.htm

Yes we call that trail mix, or breakfast in a bag


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## Shenjall

Mini Muffins! My kids prefer bran but you could go with carob/banana; strawberry; blueberry. I have a great recipe for cranberry muffins that uses the leftover cranberry sauce from thanksgiving. So yummy! Plus, it follows Periwinkles "comes in a cup" rule! :LOL


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## HomeBirthMommy

And don't be offended if they don't eat it! :LOL I used to put such thought and care into the snacks my children took and it was hardly eaten.







I guess they had never had homemade gingerbread before. It was dd's request for her birthday cake at preschool. They didn't eat any of it. I also saw cookies and sweets come in that went untouched. Apple slices are inexpensive and easy to eat. You can take two slices and sandwich them together with peanut butter, then put mini-marshmellows (yeah, yeah, I know







: ) on the front and it looks like a smile.


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## MamaDaednu

My son just started at a co-op preschool. The teacher tells us what the daily snack will be and the parents take turns bringing it in. Here's what's on for this month: grapes and crackers, pear slices and cheese, yoghurt and graham crackers, melon and crackers, mini carrots and dip.
Just be sure there are no allergies in the class before deciding what to bring.
Hope that helps!

~Daednu


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## SunRayeMomi

I have the same thoughts about my dd's preschool... so far they serve free/reduced breaskfast or you bring your own; we really don't rotate snacks. That's good, because I had this dilemma at dd's soccer games. I would bring iced lemon tea and whole wheat crackers with cheese or something good like that and all the kids gave me funny looks. I'd hate to make dd unpopular, but hey.... This is what she eats at home! Sometimes I feel like I am the only parent who doesn't rush to McDonald's everyday for lunch!!!


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## boobybunny

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SunRayeMomi*
That's good, because I had this dilemma at dd's soccer games. I would bring iced lemon tea and whole wheat crackers with cheese or something good like that and all the kids gave me funny looks. I'd hate to make dd unpopular, but hey.... This is what she eats at home! Sometimes I feel like I am the only parent who doesn't rush to McDonald's everyday for lunch!!!


I hear you, we do water bottles, orange slices(grapes/watermellon) and string cheese for soccer snacks. EVERYONE looks at me like I am bonkers. The kids ask where the koolaide is. McD's stinks, except when I have that monthly craving for HOT french fries.


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## SunRayeMomi

No kidding, it's like there are the parents that _know_ what's not good for the kids (or anyone for that matter), and then there are the parents that know _and_ actually feed their children accordingly.


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## SVMama

I like making cucumber cups by slicing cucs into 2-inch long rounds, scooping out the guts while leaving the bottoms intact, and pouring in some ranch dressing. Serve it with baby carrots and other fresh (or lightly steamed) veggies, and the kids love it. Try steamed green beans, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper.

Another hit is inari sushi. You can buy the "skins" in a can and stuff them yourself with sushi rice. My Kids help too sometimes, but I always make sure to leave extra time for cleaning up the sticky rice!

You can find lots of other snack and lunch ideas at www.laptoplunches.com/ideas.html.


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## Bearsmama

Thanks for this thread. Good for all of us new to preschool and snack etiquette.


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## mamatosage

veggie booty----healthy veggie cheesies!


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## vpm

We do snacks at my son's preschool too.
They must be healthy and if not pre-packaged than all assembly, cooking, prep must be done in their kitchen, using gloves they supply.
It isn't too much of a problem, but I like to do fun things that are different enough that even the picky kids might eat them - my son is picky too.

I did snack the day before Halloween and I brought graham crackers, cheese stick and a fun way to serve an apple. I got a LARGE, really juice, crisp & mild apple - honeycrisp. I cut large round slices, 4 per fruit (there is a lot of waste, but I just took the rest home in a baggy). I put each slice on a short kebob skewer (appetizer skewers) and rubbed cinnamon & sugar on the open sides. The mix was about 1/6 sugar, mostly cinnamon.
It looked like an apple lollipop with skin around the edge. The kids loved them. Only 3 of 16 kids didn't eat them. The rest of the kids ate every bite!

I would love any good ideas for snacks, I am always looking.


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