In our house we are huge snackers. We love to eat, and we love a good snack. My kids, especially love to eat. We actually have scheduled snack time around here, and they make sure I never miss it. I used to let them snack whenever, but then “whenever” became “all the time” so we had to put an end to that.
But secretly, I don’t blame them for wanting to snack all the time. I struggle with my own will-power in this department. 😉 That’s where healthy snack choices are so essential. Eating things such as fruit, homemade yogurt or smoothies are going to keep your energy up and help you get through the rest of your day.
Simple and cheap snacks are necessary in our household. With so much eating going on, we need snacks that fit into our budget. We rarely ever purchase packaged snacks such as prepackaged muffins, granola bars, or fruit roll ups. It doesn’t matter if Dora or Scooby Do are on the front of the box. It usually stays on the shelf. Instead we stick to making as many snacks as we can from scratch, along with fruits and yogurt.
SIMPLE AND CHEAP SNACKS
Popcorn – Skip the microwave popcorn and buy the kernels you can cook on the stove or in an air popper.
Homemade Granola Bars – so much cheaper than storebought. Check out the recipe I like over at Living on a Dime.
Apples – Healthy and cheap! Top with peanut butter for extra deliciousness.
In Season Fruit – Always by fruit -or any produce for that matter – that is in season. You will pay less.
Saltine Crackers – Peanut butter, jam, honey, or whatever else you think of to top these crackers.
Yogurt – Learn how to make your own yogurt HERE for even more savings.
Pretzels – We buy the store brand at $1.27 a bag.
Smoothies – I can make a smoothie big enough for all of us with a banana, a cup of frozen fruit, some yogurt or kefir, spinach, and water. It’s full of nutrition and stretches far. Make it without the yogurt or kefir for a cheaper or dairy-free option. One of my favorite smoothies is a peanut butter banana smoothie. Grab the recipe HERE.
Muffins – Bake your own. I often use up bananas that are going bad to whip up a batch. Check out these Banana Chocolate Chunk muffins.
Cinnamon Toast – Toast topped with butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar make for a delicious treat.
Ants on a Log – Top celery with peanut butter and raisins. Kids love’em this way!
Raw veggies – buy what is in season and on sale. Dip in some ranch dressing. You can also make your own hummus for dipping.
Hard-boiled eggs – Eggs are cheap, and if you have chickens like I do, than you always have eggs on hand.
Pita Bread with Hummus – make your own hummus for cheap snack.
Feeding your family, guests, or just yourself some simple and cheap snacks doesn’t have to be complicated. Are there any budget-friendly snacks I’ve forgotten on this list that you eat in our house?
We eat a lot of quesadillas as an afternoon sneak, we also eat cottage cheese and cheese slices with fruit. If it’s the weekend I’ll also make homemade cookies & homemade biscuits & jam. Your list is great! I’m definitely pinning it for when I run out of snack ideas!
My husband LOVES cottage cheese! And quasadillas are a great idea. We also love our biscuits. I haven’t made them for awhile, your comment has me convinced I need to make some asap! 🙂
Great ideas. You can cook kernels of popcorn in the microwave, too. Just weigh out the same quantity as what comes in a microwave bag, put it in a large microwave safe bowl with a loose lid, and use the popcorn setting on your microwave for timing. Just a note: the quantity of kernels is way less than you might guess. It’s good to measure. And the lid is important. Popcorn everywhere but in the bowl if you do it without! (Trust me on that one! LOL)
Oh yes, I have heard you can make regular popcorn in the microwave. Thank you for sharing this! And yes, I imagine a lid would be important. Haha:)