This post was sponsored by a2 Milk® as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review.
Back to school is right around the corner! And with just a few weeks left to prepare, I have already started to think about what type of healthy back to school school snacks I want to serve my kids. Plus as a work-from-home-mom, I don’t have a lot of spare time to make homemade snacks. So instead I prefer to make easy back to school snacks that I can either cut up quickly and go.
Top 5 Easy Back to School Snacks
Here’s my list of the Top 5 Easy Back To School Snacks that I plan to serve my kids this year. I have already tested them out and my kids have given me the green light. So I plan to rotate them throughout the year to prevent afternoon snack burnout!
Carrots, Grapes and Bagel Chips
My kids love fruits and vegetables. Carrots and grapes are some of their favorites. I like to add a few bagel chips to the plate when I serve this after school snack, because it spices things up a bit. Bagel chips are also available in a variety of flavors including everything bagel, sea salt, garlic and cinnamon sugar.
Yellow Watermelon and Sour Creme & Chives Corn Puffs
Did you know there is such a thing as yellow watermelon? During the summer you can find yellow watermelon at your local fruit stand or farmer’s market. The yellow flesh has a sweet, almost honey-like taste, that is similar to red watermelon. I like to serve it chilled alongside a cup of these flavored sour creme & chives corn puffs that I find at my local health food store.
Peaches and Cinnamon Graham Crackers
August, September and October are the warmest months of the year in Southern California. So I like to keep my kids extra hydrated during this time by serving them fruit that has a high water content. Besides water, certain fruits also contain healthful nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein. One of my children’s favorite fruits are peaches which contain 88% water. On a hot summer day, nothing tastes better than an ice cold peach and a side of cinnamon graham crackers.
Salami, Wheat Crackers and Salsa
Sometimes when I put a lot of fruits and veggies in my kids lunches, I will serve them a high protein snack instead when they get home from school. We love salami and crackers with a side of salsa.
Apples & Blueberries
Apples and blueberries make a good afternoon snack, because they are both tart and can be served with a side of homemade yogurt (made lactose free if needed). They also pair well together in a fruit smooth with a teaspoon of honey.
About a2 Milk®
I like to serve all of these Top 5 Easy Back To School Snacks with a nice cool glass of a2 Milk®. As I’ve shared in the past, I am very sensitive to dairy and are not able to process the lactose in milk products like other people I know. In fact, an independent study showed 1 in 4 Americans have discomfort after drinking milk; yet only 5-7% of the population has been clinically diagnosed with a lactose intolerance medical condition. Through my research, I learned that the A1 protein is the culprit behind many people’s discomfort after consuming dairy and is in all the conventional and organic milks on the U.S. market today.
However, a2 Milk® is different. It only comes from specially selected a2 cows, whose milk is naturally free of the A1 protein. The a2 Milk® Company™ has recently partnered with U.S. family dairy farmers in upstate New York and the Midwest to expand the a2 herd. This is excellent news for those of us who experience tummy troubles or post-dairy digestive discomfort after drinking a traditional glass of milk.
a2 Milk® is also real milk! It is a wonderful replacement to overly processed alternatives. The days of compromising taste and nutrition with inferior nut-or bean-based beverages are now over, because a2 Milk® contains approximately 6x the amount of calcium as soy beverages, approximately 8x the protein of almond beverages and approximately 6x the potassium levels of rice beverages.
Are you interested in trying a2 Milk® with your family? I have good news for you then! a2 Milk® is now available at your local grocery store.
So I hope you and your family have a wonderful 2016-2017 school year!
Happy Back To School Season!
Jilleen