Beach Boys and Girls: Foolproof Beach and Pool Snacks for the Fam

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sometimes packing for an afternoon at the beach feels like packing for a trip to Europe. Seriously, even with three strapping sons and an even more strapping dad to help carry stuff, I feel like I need eight more arms.

All that fun in the sun makes for some happy (and hungry) kids!

Thankfully we’re out of the stage where you need 10 bags filled with plastic buckets and assorted paraphernalia. Now instead of those, we just need a ton of food, because everyone knows pre- and early-teen boys eat like horses…

So needless to say I’m always on the hunt for easy, healthy, non-messy, non-heavy beach/pool foods. Here are a few I’ve had some luck with:

Simple Squares Snack Bars: These organic (and yummy) whole food snack bars contain only five ingredients: nuts, honey, vanilla, sea salt, and herbs. They’re also great for peeps with allergies. Best part is: they’re ready-made and mess-free.

Almonds and dried cranberries: Duh, a timeless classic! This combo brings the sweet and the savory, and packs in protein, vitamin C, and fiber. Also, you won’t have to worry about it getting smushed by whatever else is in the bag.

Edamame: One of the most fun—and most overlooked—finger foods. Just buy some frozen soybeans, let them thaw, then toss with sea salt. Bam: you’ve got a healthy, fiber-rich snack that’s tasty whether it’s hot, warm, cool, or cold. How’s that for versatile?

Hot-Weather-Friendly Fruit: In my book, some fruit is way too messy to be anywhere near sand (I’m looking at you mangoes and peaches). My top picks include blackberries and watermelon, neither of which get too gross in hot weather (ahem, cherries).

Dreamfields Rotini Greek Salad: Since it’s made with vinaigrette, this pasta salad feels lighter than its mayo-laden brethren and stays cooler longer (hot mayo=not cool). This rotini is also lower on the glycemic index than typical pasta, so you won’t get the dreaded carb coma.

Flatout Flatbread Veggie Sandwich: If you’re going to be beaching or pooling it for more than a few hours, you’ll need something more substantial to go with the snacks. These mess-free veggie paninis are healthy and delish.

For drinks, I’m a fan of V8′s V-Fusion juices, which pack in a half cup of fruit and half cup of veggies per serving. For little ones, First Juice is a solid pick because it’s got way less sugar than other natural juices on the market, helping curb early sweet-tooth development. Meanwhile, I’ll be filling my reusable water bottle with home-brewed iced hibiscus tea.

All that said, I’d really love to hear any other suggestions you might have up your sleeve. Let’s talk foolproof snack ideas on Facebook! Until then, I’ve got to get back to my bicep curls…I’ll need those muscles for this weekend’s cooler carrying, after all!

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