Today is day 14 of no boxed or pre-made snacks in the house and I'm about ready to call it quits! I've been making all of our children's snacks from scratch and it definitely has it's pros and it's cons as well.
Pros:
1. We've saved a lot of money. Never realized how expensive Nabisco packs and Lays potato chip variety packs could be. Especially for a family of 7.
2. Less trash. One of my pet peeves about snack time is the dozens of snack wrappers and empty family pack boxes that take up space in the trash. I recently started doing more recycling and reusing since I felt really guilty about the amount of recyclable items in our trash that just get tossed into a land field. Even still, snacks made up over 60% of our household waste. I've noticed a huge difference ion the number of trash bags we're using within the last 14 days.
3. Less waste. I despise wasted food! I will finish off everyone's food even when I'm full just to prevent having to put it down the garbage disposal. This is one of the reasons I have a hard time loosing weight. The kids absolutely love the homemade snacks I've been making. Even Daddy is begging for more! We have not had to throw anything away yet.
4. I feel healthier. So the day we began this journey, I took a look at the ingredients list on all of our snack boxes. WHY did I do that? Some of the stuff doesn't even seem legal to sell. Words like "processed with Alkali" and "MAY contain peanut or tree nut oil" What?! "May contain"??? "peanut OR tree nut"??? Well, if the manufacturers don't even know what they put in it, then how do I know if it's safe for my family? My children and husband have all had occasional tummy troubles that we just overlook, but I've noticed that the troubles have been almost non existent since we now have more wholesome snacks with simple ingredients.
Cons:
1. Time. I must admit, I love the convenience of pre-made snacks. Just grab and go. It's preserved and no need for refrigeration. No need to bake cool, wrap, or store. No need to dirty pans or mixing bowls to prepare. Our kids have 2-3 snacks daily: morning, after nap, and before bed since we eat supper early. And of course they want a variety to choose from. Having to make that many snacks with lots of kids and pets and homeschooling and blah, blah, blah... it gets to be a chore for sure.
2. Supply and Demand. Everyone knows that homemade baked goods are much tastier than store bought ones. Same holds true with these snacks. The kids and husband (okay, me too) are eating significantly more because it's SOOO good! This means, I have to make and bake all the time to keep up with the demand.
Okay, yes. I can only come up with 2 cons, but those count as double by golly! I'm staying the course and doing my best to finish out the month though. This is no easy task. I will try to find time to post pics and recipes of the homemade snacks I made. Some include home rice crispy treats, cranberry cheesecake granola bars, low fat woopie pie, and homemade twinkies!
