The Snack Hack That Saves My Summer: Kids Charcuterie
Let’s talk about summer snacking.
There’s something about warm weather and longer days that makes kids hungrier than usual. Maybe it's the extra sunshine, maybe it's the boredom, maybe it’s just a conspiracy against moms. Either way, the snack requests hit different in summer. And if your kids are anything like mine, they’ll ask for a snack every 15 minutes even if they’re holding one in their hand.
So I came up with a solution: the Kids Charcuterie Board. Fancy? Maybe. Functional? Absolutely. Fun? 100%. Will it prevent snack fights between siblings? I’m not making promises. But it will keep your kitchen from looking like a tornado hit it every time someone yells “MOOOOM! I’m hungry! Can I have a snack?”
🧀 What is a Kids Charcuterie?
Basically, it’s a big ol’ platter of finger foods that I leave out and replenish throughout the day. Think snack grazing, but cuter.
I use whatever I’ve got on hand—veggies, fruit, cheese, crackers, nuts, leftover lunch meat, random pretzels, the last three Goldfish in the bag. You get it.
Some days it’s artfully arranged on a cute themed platter. Other days it’s… just whatever’s clean. #MomLife
🥒 How to Build a Kids Charcuterie Board
No two snack boards are ever the same, but here’s my general “recipe”:
Pick your categories:
Veggies: Baby carrots, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, snap peas
Fruit: Grapes, sliced apples, watermelon chunks, strawberries, blueberries
Protein: Cheese cubes, hard-boiled eggs, turkey or ham roll-ups, nuts or seeds
Carbs: Pretzels, crackers, pita chips, popcorn
Extras: Pickles, olives, fruit snacks, a few chocolate chips if I’m feeling generous
Instructions:
Take out your favorite serving tray—or honestly, whatever you have that’s clean.
Fill it up with a little bit of everything. Variety is the key to keeping them interested.
Place it in a central location and let the kids know “THIS is the snack zone.”
Refill as needed. Or not. Set boundaries, friend.
🎯 Why It Works
One clean-up vs. 17 snack requests.
Encourages healthy options because they’re right there and easy to grab.
It’s fun! You can use little bowls, fun toothpicks, or themed napkins to keep things fresh.
It also works after school during the year—just tone it down a bit and set it out while they unpack backpacks and decompress.
🏖 Real Talk
I’m not saying this will solve all your problems. Your kids will still ask what’s for dinner 20 minutes after stuffing their face with snacks. But it will give you a break from being the Snack Dispatcher every 12 minutes. And in the summer, that’s basically a win.
So the next time your kids hit you with a snack request for the 14th time before noon? Break out the charcuterie.
Fancy name. Simple ingredients. Supermom status. ✔️
With Love,
Brittany
Comments
Post a Comment