Busy parents and professionals often experience a new outlook on food during the start of school year. For parents, it’s time to figure out how to pack lunches quickly for the kids, and for professionals, it’s time to figure out just how to revamp that tired old salad you’ve been eating all summer. Check out these three easy snack ideas to help make this year’s transition back to school a little bit easier:

  1. Organize Snacks Ahead of Time
    Use your refrigerator drawers, or buy a cheap plastic divider from your local supermarket to organize your perishable snacks for the week. Then, set up a dry foods station on your counter stocked with pretzels, crackers, cereal and your family’s favorite Riceworks crisps. In the morning, just whip up a quick salad or sandwich and raid your snack stations for a complete and nutritious lunch.
  2. Freeze and Pack
    At the beginning of the week, make a big batch of individually wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and throw them in the freezer. When you pack your family’s lunches in the morning, toss the PB&Js into the mix and you’re ready to go! The sandwiches will thaw throughout the day and keep the lunches cold in the process. No ice packs needed.
  3. Prepare the Night Before
    If your back-to-school mornings are typically hectic (we know ours are), you might be tempted to skip your daily lunch prep. Preparing the night before is a surefire way to make sure that your family has a guilt-free lunch each day, no matter what road blocks you run into in the mornings.

Have other creative solutions for back to school snacking? Tell us in the comments or share on Facebook or Twitter.