Avoiding Hungry Bus Kid Syndrome

This morning my middle child posed a strange question, "Mom, if I have any leftovers from my lunch, do you mind if I give them to the hungry girls?" I followed up on this, "What do you mean hungry girls?" My daughter's explanation: apparently there are a couple of girls that go kid-to-kid on the bus asking for food. "They'll even eat the stuff you drop," offered my daughter. Lovely.

We're not talking malnourished girls here, just energetic elementary schoolers whose last meal was before recess at 11:30am. The situation got me thinking about how to pack my kids' lunches not only for lunch, but also for potential bus hunger pangs later. As a result my kids’ lunches underwent a bit of a redesign.

Pack in layers. Just like you dress in layers on breezy days to be prepared for a variety of weather, pack for a variety of hunger levels. Some days your kids will be ravenous, other days they’ll have problems finishing a mini-bagel. You don’t want them to waste food so offer some fillers that can last through the week. If they don’t eat it Monday, it’ll still be good on Friday. Granola bars work well.

Put in plastic. Instead of baggies, stash snacks in small plastic containers. That way, if your son doesn’t finish his Goldfish, they won’t be crushed by the time he’s hungry for them later.

Go for snacks with longevity. Pretzels, baby carrots, Twizzlers, Fiber One bars (I’m told that’s a “hungry girl” fav) won’t go bad if your kids don’t eat them right away.

I’m not encouraging eating on the bus (which I’m told isn’t allowed--but the bus driver doesn’t mind), just that I want my kids to have enough food at school to keep their energy up throughout the day. And I don't want them combing the ground on the bus floor for snacks!

Swim Meet Survival Pack

Ah, the smell of chlorine at 6:30am! Must mean its swim meet time. This June you’ll find me and my crew at swim meets every Saturday morning. But having a successful meet is about more than just what your kids’ times are at their events.

 

Yup, swim meets are all about the snack bag. When I was little, I loaded up on sugary snacks for meets (remember Razzles?). But with my kids I’ve noticed that keeping them on a constant sugar buzz isn’t fun for anyone—especially mom. Now that’s not to say there’s not a place for a little candy on a Saturday morning, but if you want to keep your kids sane, pack a little protein in your grab bag.

 

Here’s a peek at what I’m packing up for this Saturday:

•Water bottlesx5—one for everyone. I’ve tried to skimp in the past (I just didn’t want to lug something else) and that meant I was the one parched by the end!

•Frozen muffins. I buy or bake chocolate chip muffins so my kids feel like they’re getting a treat while they’re still getting their tummies filled. Freeze ‘em so they’re less messy and tasty while you’re sitting in the sun.

•String Cheese. For a shot of protein that’s also fun to eat, bring one for each of your kids.

•Chips. There’s something so satisfying about eating salty potato chips or tortilla chips in the sun.

•Sandwiches. On the ride home from meets my kids used to get snippy (even I did). Turns out we were just hungry. I pack a ham and cheese sandwich for everyone. Last time I only packed a couple and sure enough I was the one going without. Can you say, cranky mom?!

•Airheads. No, not the kids [insert courtesy laugh here]. Airheads are the perfect candy—takes the kids awhile to eat ‘em and they’re not so sticky that you’ll be running for paper towels.

•Ice pack. Don’t forget to keep your treats cool!

 

Here’s what I won’t be packing:

•SunnyD. I brought these drinks to the last meet only to end up with sticky orange gunk all over the bottom of our bag. Stick with water—easy clean-up.

•Ringpops. I’m no fan of these sticky, sugar pacifiers. My kids always beg me for them, finish half then hand me the rest with the fingers nearly glued together. Yuck!

 

What do you bring in your snack bag?