7 Fast and Frugal After School Snacks for Kids

6. Quick Mac and Cheese

bakingmischief.com

Perfect for when the kids get hungry and need a quick mac and cheese fix!

7. Pizza Toast

One look at this pizza toast and you know this is going to be a winner. You can choose to follow the recipe or choose to modify it a bit.

Some Tips on How To Keep Snacks Affordable

Many parents struggle to keep snacks affordable, especially when their children are growing and seem to need more and more snacks to conquer their appetites. However there are a few simple tips that we’ve discovered to really help keep your snack bill down.

If You Can, Make It At Home

We pay a crazy amount of money for snack foods that, in many cases, can be easily made at home for less than half of the cost. Items like muesli bars, muffins, rice pudding are more aren’t really worth buying.

Just find a recipe that works for you and get busy in the kitchen. If your children are a bit older, encourage them to help out as well to ease the load.

Bulk Preparation Is Cheaper

For anyone with a decent-sized freezer, it makes more sense to prepare snacks in bulk.

Although it might be a bit of a challenge at first, it’s cheaper to buy ingredients in bulk and less time-consuming to just do it all at once. After you’ve made the snacks in bulk, just freeze them in containers that can be brought out every week to be eaten.

Take Advantage Of Specials

The special deals that are available in supermarkets often mean that you can save an impressive amount of money off your bills. But with specials it is important to think long-term.

For example, if bananas area heavily discounted you could buy several kilos and freeze them for later use. If peanut butter is on special take several jars home with you in one shop.  Things that last in the pantry or can be frozen are always worth buying in multiples, especially if they’re ideal for homemade snacks!

Keep It Simple

Not all snacks need to be the result of slaving in the kitchen.

Your kids might have cravings for chocolates and sweets, but boiled eggs, carrot and cucumber sticks, and fruit all make wonderful and affordable after school snacks for kids . If you live close to a farmers market you might be able to save even more money on your produce. It’s a win for the frugal lifestyle.

How do you snack frugally?

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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