When it's back to school time, life suddenly gets infinitely more complex while also being a whole lot easier. Yes, we have more free time during the day, but we also have to arrange getting the kids out of the door, making sure they have a lunch to take with them, plus all their projects, plus whatever else is needed … and make sure we have all the after-school schedules managed. One option to help make mornings less stressful: Set up an organized lunchbox station for kids to DIY their lunch bags, giving them the opportunity to grab one from each category for whatever they're in the mood for that day. This way, they can choose their own flavor of Goldfish, bag of pretzels, seed-and-fruit packs, and water or juice. This can leave mom or dad time to finish making the sandwich, wrap, salad, or whatever else is going in the lunchbox that day.
Of course, when it comes to back-to-school time, there's more on our minds than just lunchboxes. Check out these seriously funny back-to-school tweets from parents who can't wait (we will happily admit we could have written half of these ourselves). On the other end of the spectrum, take a look at truly creative first day of school photo ideas perfect for Instagram. We love these so much, but there's literally no way we would have come up with any of these — they're so incredibly creative! Learn how to maximize “free” time once kids go back to school, which is still a wonderful crash course in time management ideas, and organization hacks to get families ready for school. For anyone feeling nostalgic for back-to-school time, look at these things we had in school that our kids will never know.
365 Everyday Value PB&J Bites
How much do we love these strawberry jam-and-peanut butter bites? So much that we will totally steal a handful for ourselves every single time we throw them in a little mini tupperware for the kids. They're delish.
365 Everyday Value PB&J Bites ($3, Amazon)
Cheez-It Baked Snack Cheese Crackers
Cheez-Its were one of our favorite crackers when we were kids, and if we're being honest, they still are. These single-serve, 1.5 ounce packs are so easy to just toss in a lunchbox without even having to repackage.
Cheez-It Baked Snack Cheese Crackers ($11.24, Amazon)
365 Everyday Value Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites
These chocolate chip cookie bites are maybe more dessert than they are snacks, but we can make an exception for these. They're organic, they come in a premeasured bag of 150 calories, and they're so delicious.
365 Everyday Value Organic Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites ($3.99, Amazon)
Smartfood White Cheddar Flavored Popcorn
Made with real cheese, this flavored popcorn is a delicious whole grain snack that adds dietary fiber to a kid's diet. The individual snack packs work well for kids to take to school without any extra help from mom on a weekday morning.
Smartfood White Cheddar Flavored Popcorn ($4.48 for 12, Amazon)
Chomps Turkey Jerky
High-protein and low-fat, turkey jerky is a sensible choice for a lunchbox snack for growing kids. It also lasts a long time in the pantry and takes up very little room, so stocking up well in advance makes a ton of sense.
Chomps Turkey Jerky ($22.49 for 10, Amazon)
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers Classic Mix
This combo pack of goldfish crackers combines everyone's favorites — cheddar, pretzel, and fun rainbow colors. And at $10 for 30 snack-sized packets, we think it's an excellent value, as well — worth stocking up on!
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers Classic Mix ($9.98 for 30, Amazon)
Member's Mark Animal Crackers
This huge, five-pound container of animal crackers aren't just a low-fat snack choice, but they're also a super-excellent value at Amazon right now. Throwing a handful into a reusable container is a sustainable move good for the environment too.
Member's Mark Animal Crackers ($14.63, Amazon)
Annie's Organic Friends Bunny Grahams Snacks
A mix of chocolate chip, chocolate, and honey graham crackers in the absolutely cutest shapes add up to a fun and sensible snack. Shake a handful into a little reusable container and toss in a kid's lunchbox, and they'll be thrilled every time.
Annie's Organic Friends Bunny Grahams Snacks ($3.82, Amazon)
Lance Sandwich Crackers
These lunchbox treats are a total classic for a reason — they're delicious, kids adore them, they're lightweight for kids to carry, low-cost, and have a long shelf life. Basically, they're the ideal snack to stock up on.
Lance Sandwich Crackers ($13.95 for 36, Amazon)
Late July Organic Mini Organic Bite Size Sandwich Crackers Peanut Butter
These little mini peanut butter sandwiches are absolutely delicious, they're organic and natural, and they're easy for kids to bring with them to school or just grab from the cupboard and snack on on their own.
Late July Organic Mini Organic Bite Size Sandwich Crackers Peanut Butter ($9.19 for 8, Amazon)
Angie’s Boomchickapop Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Popcorn
Kettle corn is always fun, and these are made with really simple, pure ingredients. We love the kettle corn flavor, but check out the milk chocolaty peanut butter and the dark chocolaty drizzled sea salt kettle corn — they're both excellent.
Angie’s Boomchickapop Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Popcorn ($19.14 for 12, Amazon)
Eatsmart Snacks Veggie Crisps
This gluten-free snack works well for kids with gluten sensitivities (or just kids who like to share their snacks with gluten-sensitive friends), and they have less than one gram of sugar per pack.
Eatsmart Snacks Veggie Crisps ($4.37 for 8, Amazon)
365 Everyday Value Pretzel Nuggets
These peanut butter-stuffed pretzels are so incredibly tasty, and they're also a great value. At under $3, a 10-ounce bag can go extremely far — just throw a small handful into a small washable container for kids to take on their way out the door.
365 Everyday Value Pretzel Nuggets ($2.49, Amazon)
Raw Shelled Pepitas Pumpkin Seeds
Pepitas are rich in antioxidants and plenty of vitamins, as well as being full of nutrients that help the brain. DIY a snack mix with pumpkin seeds or just toss a handful on their own into a reuable container.
Raw Shelled Pepitas Pumpkin Seeds ($12.99, Amazon)
Oven Roasted Cocoa Dusted Almonds
Almonds are a high-protein snack, and when they're dusted in cocoa, they taste even better. (Plus they gain flavonoids, a form of antioxidant.) We love this big value pack, which makes it easy to shake a few almonds into a reusable container.
Oven Roasted Cocoa Dusted Almonds ($11.68, Amazon)
Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Mix
This seed and fruit mix is a super-healthy combination of pumpkin seeds and roasted sunflower seeds, with dried cranberries, raisins, and chocolate chips. It's a tasty salty-and-sweet combination that's free of tree nuts.
Enjoy Life Seed & Fruit Mix ($20.89, Amazon)
Fruit Gushers Variety Pack
Remember how super-fun Gushers were when we were kids? They were our favorite treats, and although they might not be the absolutely healthiest item in the lunch bag, toss a banana in every once in a while and it'll even out — kids deserve to have fun!
Fruit Gushers Variety Pack ($11.42 for 42, Amazon)
Popcornopolis Popcorn 10 Cone Snack Pack (Unicorn)
These unicorn popcorn cones are basically every kid's dream. We feel like they're a fun treat for kids who have just dealt with a big challenge such as a presentation or need a pick-me-up after a rough time such as an experience with bullying.
Popcornopolis Popcorn Snack Pack (Unicorn) ($13.99 for 10, Amazon)
KIND Bars, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt
These dark chocolate nut bars are so incredibly delicious, mom can throw one i her purse on the way out the door after putting them in the kids' lunch bags. They have a low glycemic index.
KIND Bars, Dark Chocolate Nuts & Sea Salt ($14.22 for 12, Amazon)
365 Everyday Value Organic Lightly Salted Pea Crisps
We love these delicious salted pea crisps, and we also love the price — under $2 for 3.3 ounces? That's a steal. They also have 55% less fat than regular potato chips, which makes them a much better snack.
365 Everyday Value Organic Lightly Salted Pea Crisps ($2, Amazon)
*Psst: if you choose to purchase an item from this post, CafeMom.com may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
