Lather up the children in sunscreen, pack puddlejumper/towels/water bottles, drive to an area watering hole, unload the kids & all their swim accessories, manage to snag a shady spot, and actually enjoy for 20 mins before –BAM!– your entire effort derailed by the kids’ constant request for snacks. Perhaps you packed the “wrong ones,” not enough to satisfy their inexplicable summer surge in hunger, or managed to forget them altogether (among the many other accoutrements you brought along for a pleasant & safe afternoon.) Options? Pricey fried food from the stand, junk food from the vending machine, or just pack it up altogether and head for Hat Creek. Can anyone else relate to this scenario? It feels all too familiar for me during various vacations, beach trips & visits to the splash pad.
RELATED READING :: 15 Healthy Summer Snacks
Yes, the kids’ snacking tendencies go up in the summer but I don’t sweat it by being intentional about what options I offer. It’s not just a free-for-all of ice cream & french fries…but it’s also not solely cucumber slices & carrot strips. I aim for what feels like a healthy balance.
Here are some new options for pool snacks you can feel good about:
Any snacks from 365 by Whole Foods Market: The more affordable house brand from Whole Foods has released so many new options recently. I’m finding fun new things like birthday cake-inspired granola bites & individual snack bags of trail mix to staples like raisins & pea crisps. Plus, I know anything under this label has super high quality standards. Whole Foods Market bans 100+ ingredients from all food they sell, including hydrogenated fats, high-fructose corn syrup and sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin.
“Clean” Popsicles by GoodPop: These are so good and guilt-free! The whole family enjoys these cold treats in the heat of the day and we get ourselves several boxes every summer. We usually go for the Organic Freezer Pops, but just saw they have healthy versions of push-up pops and rocket pops for by the pool! There are so many flavors to try, even for those with more mature ‘adult’ flavor-palates, like Cold Brew Latte and Mango Chile. The company is strict about clean ingredients: always non-GMO, organic, and low-sugar or no sugar added. 
STEM-based cooking kits: I’m the Chef Too, a company that makes educational cooking kits, can be a ‘bake & take’ activity to keep kids stimulated before they hit the pool this summer. These STEM-based cooking kits come packed with everything you need to go on an edible, educational adventure. Our favorite kit for summer has got to be the Beach Pops, a cakesickle kit where they learn about the ocean, shoreline & some chemistry elements mixed in, too. There’s even edible “sand”!
Brain boosters from Brainiac: This brand of everyday, kid-favorite snacks includes nutrients that have been tested & shown to aid in the health of our brains. I say, why not support my kids’ growing minds in the snacks they already reach for? Brainiac makes easy-to-pack bars, nut butters and applesauce pouches with Choline & DHA (what are brains are made of and essential compounds that are lacking in the Standard American Diet). In my opinion, their applesauce pouches taste better than the popular GoGo squeeZ ones, too. 
Popcorn with a flavor twist: Perfect for pool days, game nights, and snack attacks, Sweet Chaos has ya covered! From sweet to savory, these bags of flavored popcorn have a gluten-free choice for everyone to snack on and enjoy. They hand-pop their non-GMO kernels in coconut oil for a creamy richness while skipping the nasty artificial stuff. This is one snack that will add a little sweet to the chaos of summer at home with the kids! The exciting flavors include Kettle Corn, Honey Chipotle, Sea Salt…even a Jalapeño Blue Cheese.
Low-sugar, plant-based hydration: Liquid is a uniquely formulated beverage made with watermelon juice, plant-based branch chain amino acids, natural sweeteners, and six essential vitamins. When the sun is shining bright, this drink is refreshing, tastes great, and has a wealth of health benefits for everyone. Whether you are health-conscious mom or a family of fitness enthusiasts, Liquid Hydration is a low-sugar alternative to most of those electrolyte powders out there today. There are four delicious & delightful flavors: Peach, Strawberry Banana, Orange Mango and Black Cherry Pomegranate. 
