A little relief if snacks feel constant

Hi Reader,

I swear snacks are the bane of my existence.

The kids need them, but it’s this constant, never-ending task. Figuring out what to buy, actually going to buy it, negotiating what counts as an “acceptable” snack, and then watching everything disappear 10x faster than I expected.

It’s also this ongoing battle between convenience (very necessary) and wanting my kids to eat actual whole foods (also very necessary).

So until I can afford a personal chef, I’m over here doing my best—which sometimes looks like grabbing the 20-pack of Goldfish baggies, and sometimes looks like a homemade batch of oatmeal muffins.

And just so you know—kids needing a lot of snacks doesn’t mean something is wrong. It usually just means your kids are growing, moving, and using a lot of energy.

But if you’re kinda burnt out on it like I am… that is 100% normal.

Very few of us have the ability to avoid packaged snacks altogether. And very few of us have the budget to only buy the “cleanest” options. (And let’s be honest—very few of us have kids who aren’t going to ask for Goldfish at some point.)

So once you accept that snacks are basically a permanent part of parenting… like, forever… it gets a little easier. And you can let go of the guilt about the Goldfish (and the Pop-Tarts, and whatever else they convince you to buy)—it’s okay for those things to be part of the mix.

And since we’re all going to be buying and serving approximately one million snacks between now and the end of time, I pulled together some of my most helpful resources—healthier store-bought options, plus some simple recipes for when you actually have the bandwidth.

New From Mama Knows

JUST DROPPED

Grocery Store Snack Picks

My brand-new free download that shares all of my favorite snack picks from five of your favorite grocery stores! These make great grab-and-go options for busy families.

Check It Out