5 Days Worth of Store-Bought School Snacks for Your Preschooler

If this is your first baon season, you will quickly realize that making everything from scratch can be daunting and time-consuming (working moms are vigorously nodding their heads, we think). Sometimes you just need to pop into the grocery or else your preschooler just won't have anything. But store-bought doesn’t mean it has to be junk food. We found these in leading supermarket chains, and you can follow our guide or mix and match the days. You can also replace one item with your preschooler's favorite fresh fruits liked sliced apples or grapes whenever you can. Yaya can even do the quick run to the supermarket when you’re super busy. 

Milky Monday

IMAGE Mark Jesalva

School snacks (left): Yogurt drink + Quaker Oats mini cookies (1 pack but we mixed honey and choco chip) + seedless grapes (cut these in half)  
After-school snacks at home: Cereal enough for 1 and 1/2 cup of milk + Dole Peaches in Strawberry Gelatin

Calcium is essential for building strong bones and teeth in young children. Provide it via an easy-to-sip milk drink for school baon. At home, organic milk is the best choice for a yummy bowl of cereal. Add fruits like vitamin C-rich grapes (cut these in half), apple or banana slices or “fun” treats like the peaches in gelatin (also rich in vitamin C) to balance out the nutrition intake. 

Apple Time Tuesday

IMAGE Mark Jesalva 

School snacks (left): Whole wheat bread with raisins (2 slices) with peanut butter spread (1 to 2 tablespoons) + apple juice
After-school snacks at home: Luke's Organic potato chips (1 cup) + spreadable cheese (2 wedges) + apple juice (1 cup for your kid and the rest for you with this size!)

Go for spreads and snack products that do not have a lot of artificial flavors and colorants. Apple juice will help keep their immunity up throughout the day. Paired with a peanut butter sandwich for protein and cheese for some vitamin B, the little one will be ready to tackle the day!  

Wheaty Wednesday

IMAGE Mark Jesalva

School snacks: Wheat bread (2 slices) with cheesy spread (2 tablespoons) + Luke's Organic potato chips + yogurt drink 
After-school snacks at home: Wheat bread (2 slices) with strawberry jam (2 tablespoons) + chocolate drink 

You’ve got fiber from the bread. The cheesy spread, made from 90 percent fresh cow’s milk, provides calcium and vitamin A. The yogurt drink takes care of their probiotics for the day. The chips (organic and gluten-free!) and chocolate drink are their rewards. 

Fun Thursday

IMAGE Mark Jesalva

School snacks: Jacob’s Hi-Cal Original Crackers (1 box has 9 individually wrapped packs) + fruit yogurt + Del Monte Mango Juice Drink (1 1/2 cup)
After-school snacks at home: Mamon + California raisins (1 box) + milk drink 

Let the kids have fun! They can dunk the calcium- and fiber-rich crackers in the yogurt (this brand doesn't need refrigeration!) Raisins are fun treats and full of B vitamins and iron. For vitamin C, mango juice delivers (tipid tip: buy the one liter tetra pack and re-portion into water or juice bottles). 

Fruity Friday

IMAGE Mark Jesalva

School snacks: Banana chipcs (1 cup) + 3 cheese sticks + fruit mix juice (tetra) 
After-school snacks at home: Cookies (3 to 5 pieces) + bluberry yogurt + carrot juice 

Go for fruit juices and fruit yogurts that are not too high in added sugars. Balance it off with these banana chips that have vitamin C, potassium and vitamin B6. Let them indulge a little with these caramel-flavoried cookies.

A former beauty queen, Rene Rose Rodrigo is a US-certified holistic nutrition coach who is now living and working in the Philippines. Mom to 10-month-old Luca, she shares her lifestyle while discovering her roots at her blog Eurasian Rose.  

Special thanks to Robinsons Department Store (Robinsons Galleria)