My Snack Drawer

When people hear that I have a drawer in my kitchen devoted to snacks they often ask me about it.  So, I'm doing a blog post.  Hey, sharing information is the whole reason I started this blog ;-)

I started with a drawer in my kitchen that my kiddos could access and that I could accept not using for other kitchen "things".  Then I filled it up with a variety of snack items that my kids like.  I keep a lot of options in there because my kids really don't like a lot of the same things.  Plus, I like to mix it up now and then so they don't get sick of everything - then they complain about.  Instead, my kiddos are overjoyed when I tell them they can have a snack!

Here's my drawer:

Oh how I wish it was always this organized!!  LOL

Notice that everything is bagged up individually.  Sometimes I find a good deal on items that are already in small packages but mostly I use a lot of snack size baggies! 

When I have a large bag of a particular snack I do not move the entire package into individual baggies all at one time.  The reason???  I have noticed that these little baggies do not keep things as fresh.  There are little tiny microscopic holes that allow more room to breath than most of the original packaging.  So I seal the original package back up (as good as I can) until I need to make more little baggies.

After grocery shopping (usually later that night) is when I replenish my snack drawer.  I make baggies of the new stuff I bought, add more baggies of the stuff I already have that has been eaten, and check for stuff that hasn't been eaten and should probably be tossed.  Tip - it's easier to keep track of freshness if you write a date on the outside of the baggies.

No candy or chips in this drawer!!!  We have a different place for that so there is no confusion!

I have one other place for snacks and that is a shelf in our freezer for yogurt pops (they get frozen yogurt "pop cycles" as a snack option too).

It would be great to have a drawer in my refrigerator for snacks like apple slices and baby carrots!  But, I don't have the space and I do a pretty good job at offering those.

One of the reasons I started this drawer was because my kiddos were (and still are) required to bring their own snack to school each day.  This makes that "task" so much easier!!!  What tricks/tips have you implemented around your house?