To think there should be more healthy snacks

[LovelyTeacakes]

I have two teenage sons who eat for England at the moment as they are both shooting up. They graze in-between meals has they are always hungry.

I'm finding it increasingly hard to find nutritious filling snacks to bulk out their lunch box. Supermarkets are filled with processed meat, cheese straws, crisps, sweet cereal bars etc etc. They only get a 45 minute lunch so it needs to be quick and easy.

Then we don't eat usually till 6:30 so they are starving after school. Again filling nutritious snacks are needed.

They do have toast or crackers sometimes but seem to crave unhealthy food.

Any ideas?

What kind of healthy snacks do you think the supermarkets ought to provide which your dc would actually want to eat, OP? There are plenty of healthy foods that can be eaten as snacks - nobody is forcing you to buy processed meat etc. People eat unhealthy, processed food because it is tasty and conveniently packaged, not because there are no healthy alternatives.

My teen eats shredded roast chicken, hummus and pita chips, veggie slices, apples or bananas with peanut butter, almonds, pepperoni, skyr, and pulla (type of bread) as snacks.
All are pretty filling and not too crappy over all nutrition wise

theres plenty to choose from in the supermarket, its not just full of unhealthy stuff

If you have to cook gluten free, you are more likely to cook healthy food anyway (as long as you don't replace everything with gluten-free alternatives who are full of sugar or simply not that healthy at all)

Sterilise all your baking equipment and just get back to baking gluten free. Get a few specialist GF baking books, as the recipes don't always translate by just swapping to GF flour. You can order any of the flours etc you need from amazon. If you don't tell them you're switching flours - no one will even notice after a bit of practice!

Deconstructed wraps? Allocate a shelf/drawer of the fridge for the purpose and fill it with wraps and various bits that they can use to fill the wrap. Whatever is in drawer is theirs to use, and it has to last for x number of days. Might be good for DS with autism as he can choose food flavours/textures he likes.

My dd has one of those bento box things and a small thermos. I put cucumbers, carrot, apple, crackers, rice cakes, salami, sausage, chicken, cheese, mini pizzas etc in it. I heat up sausage rolls (made myself), pasta etc and use the thermos.
There are a lot of helpful Facebook groups for lunchboxes.

The whole fruit & veg isle

Cheese (no low fat versions)

Nuts

Eggs (boiled, they last a few days in the fridge. Omelettes add spinach, spring onion, pepper)

Home made cheese scones or egg muffins (both are easy to make)

Nothing wrong with a slice of cake, flapjack or biscuit once in a while either ( home made is best if you have the time)

Bigger portions of proper meals at breakfast & dinner. Would be better than too many snacks

My dd is coealiac and I bake for her. There's no reason to be worried about cross contamination if you're careful. She has a different cupboard for her gf stuff inc gf flour. Work surfaces are carefully wiped down and clean pans/bowls used, she has her own wooden spoon and I wouldn't use the wooden chopping board for her.

Snacks are life, ignore the non-believers.

Boiled eggs, houmous and pitta/carrot, bananas, almonds/peanuts, dark chocolate, greek yoghurts, oven baked veggie chips with salsa

All better than my prime choice of 'net of babybels'

Gotta love a babybel!!

Mine snack on:
very rough wholemeal bread (cranks) with no sugar peanut butter
bananas
fruit
mozzarella cheeses, babybels
avocados
cold chicken
they have discovered making: half a tin of chopped tomatoes in a small frying pan with olive oil and a shake of garlic powder and chili flakes, then two eggs cracked in and simmered until the eggs are done, takes 8 minutes start to finish
pitta bread wholemeal and hummus and carrot sticks
fruit smoothie mix blended with apple juice
Less healthy: biscuits (buy once or twice a week), super noodle type things, mini milks
Leftovers

if dd(12) needs a packed lunch she has - cold chicken cut up, a mozzerella cheese cut up and cucumber and lettuce
rice cake crisp things
banana, grapes