Snacking is actually considered healthy, when done in moderation. However, how many of us open up the cupboard, stare at the insides for many minutes, and due to lack of options, grab a big 'ol sack of potato chips or cookies, only to realize that before you know it, the bag is half empty, or even worse, gone.
I found myself guilty of this, and my kids as well. Which takes snacking from healthy to deadly in a matter of seconds. So, I put my little organization hat on, and decided to dedicate a portion of our new pantry (sharing the project in pieces before the big reveal) to nothing other than, SNACKS.
This week, when I returned home from my weekly grocery shopping trip, I did something a little bit different when I was putting away the goods. Actually, it started at the grocery store itself. I only purchased snacks from larger packaging (forget those pricey pre-packaged snack packs and 100 calorie packs), and I made sure they were somewhat on the healthy side. Then when I returned home, I laid the snacks out on the counter, grabbed a bunch of sandwich and snack sized baggies, and started filling them with the contents of the big bags/boxes. This included everything from Trail Mix, Teddy Grahams, Goldfishy Crackers and Popcorn. And some things are just easier in pre-packaged smaller pouches, such as Peanut Butter Crackers, Raisins and the not so healthy Rice Krispie Bar splurge.
Once they were all packaged up, I tossed them into a big green plastic basket, the same kind I use for recycling:
So inside their new home, it looked like this:
Totally a snacker's paradise! And it took like a total of like 15 seconds to do this, and the payoff is HUGE! First off, the kids don't need any assistance getting a snack, because they can now easily find what snacks are for them, and only eat good portions. Secondly, it actually takes up far less cabinet space than all of the boxes and packages would have. Win win!
Then, referring back to the exact same process I used here to create my suitcase tag, I created a label for the front of the SNACK basket:
And here it is all printed out, matted and laminated:
Then, I just used a Velcro square to attach it to the front of the basket:
Like so:
And then into the pantry went the basket:
We have been living with the new SNACK basket for almost a week now, and the whole family totally HEARTS this one!
Anyone else doing something similar in their kitchen? And really, there is no reason for me to stop here. In fact, this was such a positive outcome, that I am already thinking ahead to my next grocery trip, and how I can use this idea in the fridge, and store healthy fresh fruit and veggie snacks! As I frequently say, ideas can be used over and over in many different rooms and areas of your life!
What a great idea! Simple and functional. When I reorganize my pantry, I am totally doing this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great storage tip! :)
This a great idea!! You have inspired me to reorganize our pantry this weekend! :)
ReplyDeleteSo happy to hear this! Hopefully I have more tips up my sleeve you will enjoy!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Jen
Awesome ideas!! What size baskets did you use for your snacks? and bread? I noticed on the (container store website) they had three options. I am in pantry heaven :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited that you are in a happy pantry place! Great question about the basket size! They are the Large Stacking Basket with Handles, 17" x 13-1/16" x 6-3/4" h.
I hope that helps and happy organizing!
xoxo,
Jen
Thanks so much for letting me...I think I may just need a quick trip to Target and pick me up a few :-) Then again, its never just a "quick trip" to that place. Would you mind sharing how you made your labels or do you have a template? They are fantastic!!! Here is my email if you have a template that you don't mind sharing:-)
ReplyDeletecolee160@aol.com
Keep up the awesome ideas!!
I started doing this a few years back. We now have a drawer for my son that has his foods in it. And mommy's snack (chocolate) is up high :)
ReplyDeleteI also use reusable bags or small jars ( baby food or rubbermaid) for our snacks. All those little baggies drove me bonkers
I love this idea! It is definitely something I am keen to try.
ReplyDeleteSomething a little different that we did when I was a kid - but somewhat along the same lines - is called a "Friday Box"
Chocolate bars and sweets were mostly a no no in our family - but every friday evening after dinner, the Friday box came out. This was filled with the goodies that we normally weren't allowed. My mother must have bought all different sorts of chocolate bars in bulk.
We kids just LOVED being able to CHOOSE one treat from the box - and it was a no brainer dessert for my mother to organise on Friday at the end of a long week.
It's a fun tradition that I will love to do when my kids are older!
Love this idea and want to implement it in my house. For the background on the snack labels, did you create it or find it via goggle search? I am new your blog and my husband thinks I am addicted :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Amy!
ReplyDeleteI actually just used Microsoft Word and mixed and matched different "Shapes" by changing their outlines and fills.
xoxo,
Jen
Gotcha!, thank you for your response. One last question, what kind of laminating sheets to you buy?
ReplyDelete@Amy - I am not sure of the actual brand, but I find them in a bulk of I think 200 at Sam's Club for around $20, which is a steal compared to the prices I typically see at Target and Walmart!
ReplyDeletexoxo!
Jen
Great idea! I will use this for preparing school lunches. We usually add one fun snack to each day's lunch. If I were to use this idea for at-home snacks and leave the kids to select for themselves, my daughter would have the bin empty in a couple of days!
ReplyDeleteI also LOVE this idea. I do it with my 3 boys and it's great because they know what they can and can't have.
ReplyDeleteI actually do this for my fridge. I have three children who take their lunches to school. I got tired of spending 2.50 to 3 dollars on a 4 pack of fruit cups. So I bought little round containers and then just by a large can of fruit or fresh whichever I want for the week. I then separate the fruit into the containers. I can usually get a $1 can of fruit and split it between the three of them. I also do this for homemade pudding, jello and yogurt. So much cheaper.
ReplyDeleteYou could do this for cereal and oatmeal - premeasured portions out of the big boxes also . I just moved and am still trying to organize the kitchen - this will help a lot
ReplyDeleteWhat about cereal?
ReplyDelete@Brianna,
ReplyDeleteWe keep our cereal in "cereal keepers" so it stays fresher longer. However, the way our kids go through it, I don't know that it would ever get a chance to go bad, lol.
xoxo,
Jen
It sure seems like you would go through a ton of ziplock bags this way, vs. just putting a snack in a bowl. I wonder if there would be another way to do this that would not be quite so wasteful/harmful to the environment.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I've been doing this for years now and it makes life with three kids SO much easier! I also make snack bags of different fruits and veggies and store in stacking containers in the fridge. My kids love it! I also store chopped onions and bellpeppers in single serving sized bags and I divide meat into single meal sized portions before I freeze so it's just grab and go for cooking!
ReplyDeleteAs a Kindergarten teacher, I had a parent who did something like this. She had snacks in one basket, juice pouches in another basket, and mini fruit cups and fruit rollups etc. in another basket. This was used only for school lunches.... When it came time to pack lunches each child got to pick something from each of the baskets while Mom made the sandwich... Made the whole packing process much easier for everyone. (She even had the children help make the little individual bags.)
ReplyDelete@MaggieO,
ReplyDeleteWe actually wash and reuse our bags to both save money and the earth! :)
xoxo,
Jen
You can also make or purchase fabric snack bags with zippers that are washable. I love mine and hope to make some soon. I feel better about not buying plastic. Also, going to canning jars instead of plastic ware. They come in many sizes, and are better to store your food in so the chemicals don't leach into your food.
DeleteI am with you on the glass storage. Doing that already. I have looked into the fabric snack bags, they seem SO expensive. Any thoughts on where to snag a good deal?
Deletexoxo!
Jen
I've tried the fabric snack bags and, while I LOVE the concept, it failed me in practice. They're usually held closed by Velcro strips, so moisture gets in and out. Our crunchy snacks got stale and our veggies dried up! :( I haven't found anything that beats plastic baggies, unfortunately. But I will follow your example of washing & reusing them!
DeleteI've been planning on doing this, so it's great to see it in practice and hear that it's working well! For the fridge I got one of those condiments trays like bartenders use and I keep fruits, veggies, dip and cheeses in those. They can grab the whole tray and pick from the various foods and then put it back in the fridge. It's been working well.
ReplyDeletelove this and would love to see your other ideas I believe I will be doing this soon
ReplyDeleteLove the blog! Did you buy the baskets in white and spray paint them, or were they once available in more colors? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOops! Saw them today at Target in green, teal and black as well as white!
ReplyDeleteWe've done this for a while now; since the kids started packing their own school lunches in about first grade. The pantry one contains similar items to yours, and the refrigerated one has fruit, yogurt, meatstick and cheese cubes, etc. They each make a sandwich, grab two pantry snack baggies, and one refrigerated one.
ReplyDeleteIn about 4th grade, they wanted the option to buy lunch at school. Twins at $2.50 per kid per lunch added up fast. To put a spin on it a little, I started pricing out the snack baggies according to the cost of the items. I could buy a box of cheezits, portion it into 8 baggies and divide the cost to be about 38 cents each, etc. A loaf of bread with 22 slices made 11 sandwiches, so the cost of the bread was about 10 cents, plus the cost of the ham and cheese... you get the idea. They then had to "buy" their packed lunches based upon the $2.50 per lunch price at school, and whatever the packed total was, they subtracted from the 2.50 budget, and they kept the change. Gave them motivation to only buy lunch at school on special days, and learned about budgeting, costing, savings, etc. Also got them started with coupons and shopping for items according to the sales from the stores, etc. Who would have known snack baggies could be so educational!!
That is a really great idea! I have twins too and I have been trying to teach them about finances & waste. They are in Preschool right now and can have snacks at school or "take their own" and they love to take their own now, so hopefully next year when they are in school it is still "Cool" :)
DeleteSuch a great idea! I am a fan. :)
Deletexoxo!
Jen
Love this idea! I always prepare snack bags for my car or to throw in to my diaper bag... but to have a fully stocked snack basket is genius!!! Thanks so much for the wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteI do this with snacks AND with cereal... my boys and I are cereal lovers but we always pour too much, so I started portioning it out into baggies. No more wasted cereal and it really helps my husband because he's diabetic so he knows exactly how many carbs he is getting in each serving. I also do this with berries and snack cheese, otherwise my kids would eat the entire pint/bag in one fell swoop!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!! I found your blog today through Pinterest, and I need this so bad. We have one of those kitchens were all too many of the cabinets have avalanches awaiting anyone who dares pull the wrong thing out. I'm going to start with the snack shelf, and cant wait to read through your blog for more ideas!
ReplyDeleteWe have been doing something similar for years and it is fabulous. I measure out at the most 1 serving according to the nutritional content on the boxes into snack sized ziplock bags and put them into a large plastic container and they grab a bag when they are making their lunches or want a snack.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this idea! I just found your blog via Blog Hop and am loving your organizing tips.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Weight Watchers member and think this would be a great way to pre-portion your snacks for healthy eating too! I posted today on toy organizing and would love for you to check it out if you have time.
Enjoy your afternoon.
In our house we have a "safety" snack drawer full of "good all-the-time choices" and then we keep our "sometimes" snacks in a cute bin on the counter. This week's sometimes snack is lemon puppy chow. Usually I measure it out into reasonable portions and bag individually to help the kids with portion control. This week I have put the challenge up to the kids and I put a 1/3 cup measuring cup in the bowl to let them do their own portion control. So far I'd say they are doing better than me (I took two scoops yesterday ;-)I love that every kid and adult that comes over knows where the safety snack drawer is and feels comfortable to help themselves without rummaging through my pantry.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I have found it helpful to keep the lunch packing "sides" separate from the snacks. It helps the kids when they are packing fill their lunches with filling healthy options and not just a bunch of snacks and a sandwich.
This is an excellent organizing tip...I have been doing this with my twins since pre-school and they are now about to graduate from high school. With all the activities they have been in over the years, this has worked for school lunches and once they were in middle and high school, it worked to pack for light dinners as well, so that we weren't tempted to stop for fast food because we were all "starving" at the end of a three hour track meet or soccer match. I enjoy your blog! Your family is adorable!
ReplyDelete