Creating a healthy snack system will help you organize your home in many ways. It will help you know what snacks are being eaten, keep the snacks in one place, and keep your snacks fresh.
I feel calmer, more in control, and more confident now that I have a snack system that works!
Why I made a Healthy Snack System
My husband was raised to look in the pantry first when he was hungry. He looked there to find granola bars, nuts, pop tarts or whatever else he could find.
I was raised in a fridge first home. We were taught to look into the fridge first. We would look for fruit, yogurt, or leftovers.
I was so frusterated by this misunderstanding, because he never did what I expected him to do. There were leftovers in the fridge that he could grab, but he would always cook something new from the pantry.
That caused a lot of arguments because he would come over with the food, proud that he made me something. Except, I would feel frustrated that he didn’t look for leftovers like I would have.
As we have grown, I have learned to let more go and he has started looking into the fridge more.
However, I couldn’t let go of snacking. I wanted him to grab the healthy options and he would look in the pantry for the familiar foods. He would open new bags, without looking for already open bags. Which meant that we would end up with multiple stale bags at a time.
I have finally found a solution that is working for both of us!
I have created a snack basket for our home. A sna-sket, if you will!
Why Should you Make a Healthy Snack System?
Having a snack system helps me feel confident that my family has access to healthy snacks at all times. The basket creates a place for open bags to gather too, so that I only rarely find open bags in the pantry now, and never after they have gone stale.
A heathy snack system also provides a sense of calm in the home, because everyone knows what food is available between meals at all times.
I never have to answer the questions about what there is to eat or hear about how hungry everyone is, because they can solve that problem on their own! For children especially, that sense of independence builds confidence in themselves too.
5 Steps to Make a Healthy Snack System
Step 1 – Pick an Accessible Space
Find a place where you can place all the snacks that is easy for everyone to reach. It can be a drawer, basket, shelf, or anything that works!
I like to have a fridge space and pantry space.
I found a two dollar basket at the thrift store that has been working really well for us. Our basket is a similar size to this one.
Step 2 – Healthy Snacks to Buy
Stop purchasing the snacks you want to eliminate from your home. Find the snacks that you want to be available to everyone all the time.
Set aside extra time for shopping one day and leave the family at home, if they would rush you. Look at labels, take your time. Finding the brands you like is the hard part.
Healthy Snack System Pantry ideas:
Granola, Granola Bars, Popcorn, Crackers, Dried Fruit, Bread, Nuts, Seeds, Peanut Butter, Prezels
Healthy Snack System Fridge ideas:
Fruit, Cheese Sticks, Vegetables, Plain Yogurt
Step 3 – Prepare the Snacks for your Healthy Snack System
Cut or divide the snacks into the amount you should eat at one time.
Fit the snacks into the fridge and pantry space. Don’t worry if it can’t all fit, you can always add more once the other things get eaten.
I like to let the favorites run out for a while, so that other options will get eaten. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Step 4 – Talk about the Healthy Snack System
Have a family meeting to introduce the snack space to the family.
Talk about where it is, why it exists, and ask them to add food to the grocery list when needed. Giving the power to choose what to have, gives them a sense of ownership and creates less responsibility for you. Opened bags of snacks will be stored in the basket, so that there is only one open bag at a time.
Step 5 – Monitor the Snacks
Finally, monitor how it is going. What problems are you having? How can you fix them?
Call a family meeting to talk about ideas to solve the problem. Share the responsibility of thinking of the solution. Helping create solutions helps everyone care about solving the problem more!
This is how I have taken control of the snacking in my household. With another mouth to feed, I have no doubt I will rely on the snack basket more and more!
I hope you try it out in your home and let me know what works for your family. I hope you become confident that there are no more random open bags laying around your home anymore!
Frequently Asked Questions
My Family Won’t Eat What is in the Healthy Snack System. What do I do?
When family won’t eat what is in the snack basket, ask yourself these questions:
Are there too few options? Can you use up those foods in a recipe instead? Do you just need to thow the food away and not buy it again? Are they eating other snacks?
When people aren’t reaching for the food it is because they need a break from it, it isn’t a favorite, or they aren’t eating as many snacks. Try changing the food in the basket and see if the snacking picks up.
What Snacks do you like to keep on hand?
Let us know in the comments below your favorite snacks and how you store them.
Other Posts You May Like
How to Organize Your Fridge for Good
The Simple Way to Make Brown Sugar Instantly
How to Organize Your Pantry for Good
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This reminds me of the snacks we currently have in the van! We moved in about a year ago and have been making a real effort to eat healthier and cut down on processed foods. I really appreciate you sharing your tips and tricks—it’s super helpful!
Thank you for commenting!
On long car rides we pack a basket of road snack so that we can avoid the fast processed food too. I like having it all contained to one space, in a house or on the road, so that everyone knows where to look!
Having a snack system is such a game-changer for keeping the household organized and stress-free. It’s great to know that healthy options are always accessible, and the snack basket idea is brilliant. It’s helped reduce waste and ensures everyone knows where to look for snacks. The sense of calm it provides is truly invaluable—no more guessing or arguing about what’s available! How did you manage to get everyone on board with using the snack basket consistently?
Great question!
When I started the snack basket; I sat everyone down and told them what the snack basket was, how it works, and where it lives. Then every time I noticed that something wasn’t in the snack basket and it should be, I moved it there. Overtime everyone began putting all the opened bags into the snack basket too because that is where they found it. It took time and it still isn’t perfect, but when I am consistent then everyone begins to change their routine too.
Thank you for commenting and I hope everyone gets on board for you too!
Creating a healthy snack system is such a practical idea! It’s great how it helps keep snacks organized and fresh while reducing waste. The “sna-sket” concept is brilliant for encouraging healthier choices and avoiding stale snacks. It’s amazing how small changes like this can reduce stress and create harmony at home. How did you decide on the specific snacks to include in your snack basket?
The amount of times small changes have improved the harmony of my home is incalculable! It seems to be the small things that always make the biggest difference in my everyday life. When I shop in the store for current snacks I look at labels. I am looking for foods that have real foods and low to no added sugars. I like whole foods, like plain popcorn and granola, that are mostly foods I know and recognize. It takes a lot of time in the store the first time, but once you have favorite brands and snacks then it is easy to make the switch.
Thank you for the comment!
Creating a snack system has truly transformed the way we manage our food at home. It’s amazing how something so simple can bring so much peace and organization. My husband and I no longer argue about where to find snacks, and he’s even started choosing healthier options. I love that the snack basket keeps everything fresh and avoids waste. Why didn’t we think of this sooner?
I know! It is crazy how simple ideas can change our lives!
Thank you for commenting I am so glad your home runs better!
Having a snack system is such a great idea to keep everything organized and healthy. I love how it reduces food waste and ensures everyone knows where to find snacks. It’s impressive how it has brought calm and clarity to your home. I can see how this would help avoid unnecessary arguments too. How did you decide on the types of snacks to include in the basket?
Thank you for commenting! I decided what snacks to include based on what we already eat and what we had in the house that wasn’t being eaten. I want snacking to be a healthy option so we worked on eating through the snack we had and then I started walking through grocery stores looking at labels to make sure that I liked the ingredients in the new snacks. I hope you make a snack system for your home too!