Whilst the kids love all of their after-school sports, as parents it can be quite an organisation feat to get it all sorted! The pick up, getting to the sports, and then getting them home again; all in one-piece, and fed and happy! When running around so much, having adequate snacks and nourishment can be really difficult, and sometimes we default to grabbing take-aways whilst en-route.
Whilst this may provide a short-term solution, long-term takeaways whilst on the school run can be detrimental to our kids’ health and to our budgets. So here are some of our best tips to stay on top of keeping your kids healthy and nourished whilst juggling an after-school schedule!
Plan, plan, plan ahead.
Print out a large copy of the after-school schedule and stick it up on the fridge where you’ll see it every day! You can even highlight the days the kids have activities on, so you’re extra sure not to miss it! Then, you can ensure that you plan your grocery shops so that you have lots of healthy snacks for the kids already in the house for when you pick them up.
Have a snack bucket.
A great way to ensure you’ve always got some budget and blood-sugar friendly nourishment on hand is to have a container of snacks in your car. Yes, actually! You can get a medium (or large) sized sealable container that you pop in the boot or at the foot of the passenger seat that you fill with long-life snacks. Some of our favourites are nut bars, home-made granola mix, dried fruit, and packets of chickpea chips. You can also pop some carrots and apples in there, but make sure you don’t forget any perishables in there for too long!
Know the closest grocery stores.
Even with the best planning and preparation, sometimes we run out of time and the kids get hungry. When this happens, it’s a great idea to know where your closest Coles, Woolies or Aldi is, so you can stop off and grab a healthy snack. This also works if you’re unsure what to have for dinner, you can pick up some supplies there! Get the kids involved in selecting what they want, it’ll make them feel included.
Got any more tips for staying on budget whilst chaperoning your family to after-school sports? We’d love to hear from you if so, comment below or shoot us an email hello@hopelanedesigns.com.au
