Poolside Snacks For Kids That You’ll Feel Good About

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pool snacksThis is hands down the best time of year to be a food lover. It’s summertime, and that means we’ve got a lot of healthy options at our fingertips. We’ve also got quite a few unhealthy options. 

As we ease back into “the way things were,” that also means the return of the pool snack bar! Last year I didn’t have to endure the incessant asking for ice cream bars, ring pops, and oreo cookies while at the pool since it was closed. This year I fear the children will be back at it with renewed vigor. 

If you know exactly how these conversations go, it’s best to stock up on all the healthy snacks and use that as leverage against the snack bar. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming either. These snacks are best in their original form, with no fancy prepping, just a lot of slicing and dicing. 

Here are 5 snacks that are ridiculously easy to take to the pool (and super yummy!).

1. Watermelon: This one is terribly obvious, but it’s a staple because it’s incredibly convenient and delicious. And kids love it! When I say I brought watermelon, the excitement and joy that comes out of my children turns me into the patron saint of happiness.

2. Edamame: These little protein-packed pockets of yummy goodness make them the perfect finger food for poolside lounging. They’re an excellent source of fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamin K. All you have to do is steam them and sprinkle a little sea salt on top. My kids devour these tasty treats. 

3. Roasted Chickpeas: These are my all-time favorite because you can season them any way you like. Feeling spicy? Sprinkle hot paprika over them. Feeling sweet? Cinnamon and nutmeg are delicious. All you have to do is rinse and pat dry the beans, spread them out on a baking sheet, season, and cook at 350˚ for 15–20 minutes.

4. Buckets of Summer Fruit: Literally, fill a bucket up with fresh summer fruit and let the kids have it — they’ll finish them off in no time! Strawberries, cherries, blueberries, and raspberries. Fill a bucket — it will go!

5. Salads: By far the best thing to bring anywhere because there are so many things you can sneak into a salad. Chickpeas and shelled edamame can go in a pasta salad along with a slew of veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots. A simple olive oil and vinegar dressing is all that’s needed. My kids love a tomato and mozzarella salad with basil. There’s also a feta and watermelon salad and a fruit salad. Any salad is a winner as long as your kids love it! 

These are incredibly simple ideas, yet they have the power to save you so much snack bar angst!