Summer is officially here and my family is super excited because we bought a camper! My husband and I grew up camping in tents, but we have been bit by the GLAMping bug and have found just how much easier camping is when you have everything contained in one spot.
We've already been out a couple times in the last month and the girls have been watching me each week as I methodically prepare the camper for the next upcoming adventure. Setting aside clean clothes for the weekend, filling the fridge and pantry with our meals and most importantly - the snacks.
The other day Ruby (my two year old) says "Mama, I help you?" and I thought to myself about how can I involve the kids in prepping for our camping trips. So I sent them upstairs and instructed them to set out two sets of clothes for camping and to fill their backpacks with books and a few toys to play with.
When they were done we started to prepare their snack mix for the weekend. It's really to veg-out and pull out all the junk food when you're camping, but why when good nutrition is so easy to prepare ahead of time? Involving the girls in their meal planning helps them get a sense of what is a good choice for snacking and we also get to work on skills like measuring, scooping, pouring, shaking and ingredient identification.
Ingredients:

1/2 cup of cashew halves
1/2 cup of dried blueberries
1/2 cup of dried sweetened cherries or cranberries
1 cup of lightly salted popcorn
And into the camper is goes, ready for this weekend's adventure!
...Not before a taste test first, mom!
My appreciation for this snack mix is because it is chock full of protein from navy beans, thanks to the Lil' Beanies and cashews with a mixture of sweet from the berries and salty from the popcorn and nuts. The non-messy crunch factor is also a big deal! Knowing that Gerber now offers non-gmo kid snacks makes this an easy choice.
What kind of snack mix do you prep for your kids?
Gerber Lil' Beanies are an easy way to add crunchy, yummy protein into any kid snack!
You can find them in the kids snack section at Walmart.
Gerber Lil' Beanies are an easy way to add crunchy, yummy protein into any kid snack!
You can find them in the kids snack section at Walmart.