After School Snacks from Horizon Organic

Thank you to Horizon Organic for sponsoring today’s conversation. 

Most days, my life is pretty quiet. Serene, even.

But every weekday at around 3:30 in the afternoon, I transform into this frenzied, live-action, whack-a-mole version of myself.

My kids get off the school bus, walk in the front door, throw down their backpacks, kick off their shoes, and announce that they’re STARVING. And so it begins.

“Mom, can I have crackers?” (Mom stands UP)

(Mom sits DOWN) “Mom, can I have popcorn?” (UP)

(DOWN) “Mom, I want popcorn too.” (UP)

(DOWN) “Oops, I spilled my popcorn. Can you help?” (UP)

(DOWN) “Can you make me more popcorn?” (UP)

(DOWN) “Uh oh, I spilled my juice.” (UP)

(DOWN) “Can you cut up an apple for me?” (UP)

(DOWN) “This apple tastes weird. Can I have grapes instead?” (UP…)

Whack, whack, whack. This goes on for a good 30 minutes. Every time I sit down, I pop right back up again. I feel like that mole, only (most days) no one is actually bopping me on the head.

It’s okay, though. I usually get pleases and thank yous and couch snuggles, too – and I usually snack right along with them. We’re a family of snackers. I’ve always been more of a grazer – I prefer eating little bits here and there all day long, rather than 3 full meals a day. And my kids follow suit.

This means that I have to be extra careful about the snacks I choose to buy and keep in the house. If I keep junk in the house, we all eat junk. If I make good snack choices at the grocery store, we all benefit.

I’m a longtime fan of Horizon Organic Milk. We buy the chocolate milk boxes in bulk, and I keep them in my gym bag and pantry for post-run recovery. Actually, my absolute favorite is their Lowfat Strawberry Milk. I haven’t found it in bulk yet though, so I just pick up the individual milk boxes from the grocery store as a treat. YUM.

Horizon Organic has come out with some new snack foods, including fruit snacks (some crunchy, some chewy), “Squeezes” (made from organic milk and real fruit), sandwich crackers, snack crackers, and snack grahams. (Click HERE to see the full Horizon Organic product line.)

The kids and I love trying out new snack foods, so we were excited to check out some new products for this post. I let them decide what to try, and they picked Organic Cheese Sandwich Crackers and Chocolate Snack Grahams. I didn’t tell them anything about the snacks other than that they were new and that we were going to try them out for the blog (SOLD – anything related to the blog makes them feel internet “famous”).

Our thoughts? We loved them. They tasted great, and if I hadn’t had the product information in front of me, I wouldn’t have been able to differentiate them from similar (non-organic) products that we regularly purchase.

The kids asked to buy more when we run out, and I’m happy to do it. I want my family to live a healthy lifestyle, and if small changes like purchasing a better-for-you snack help me accomplish it (especially if the kids are on board), then I’m all for it.

To learn more, connect with Horizon Organic on Facebook and Twitter. And be sure to check out their Mealtime Solutions Board on Pinterest for some great snack ideas and quick, easy recipes.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organics. The opinions and text are all mine.