Healthy Snacks to Send to College

[cyndiallison]

I take my kid to college tomorrow. Sniffle. He's the oldest of my two sons and the first to go away. This is hard!

I want to send care packages and wondered if others have good ideas for healthy snacks to pack and mail to college?

He's kind of a meat and potatoes Southern kid but does like fresh pineapple and blueberries which I do not think are going to work out well to mail (-:

He's on the meal plan and all, and I'm sure he's not going to starve. But he is used to home cooking. And, I am a worrywort mom all the sudden.

Tks for any ideas!

[Kathy B]

Hi, Cyndi! I'll be doing the same thing next year, so I feel for you!

My kids eat their share of junk, but they do like these granola bars that someone posted here on the BB. I make them fairly often, and they frequently stash one in their backpack to eat after school and before their sports practices. DH and I like them, too. Of course, I usually add chocolate chips for some or all of the craisins. I also usually omit the coconut and add about 1/2 cup of ground flax.

After they have cooled, I wrap them individually in saran wrap, and they keep quite a while. I am sure they would be easy to ship.

Nigella Lawson's Breakfast Bars

I am addicted to these, and so is everyone I give them to. Although they're quick to throw together, they do take nearly an hour to bake, so what I suggest is, make a batch on the weekend and then you will have the oaty, chewy bars ready and waiting for those days when you have to snatch breakfast on the run.

Mind you, they are just like milk and cereal in bar form, so there's nothing to stop you nibbling one with your morning coffee at home every day. If you are not a morning person, believe me, they will make your life easier.

They also store well; indeed, they seem to get better and better. So just stash them in a tin and remove when you want.

1 14-fl-oz can condensed milk

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame)

1 cup natural unsalted peanuts

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9- x 13-inch baking pan or just use a disposable aluminum foil one.

2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.

3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.

4. Spread the mixture into the oiled or foil pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands (wearing those disposable latex CSI gloves to stop you from sticking) to make the surface even.

5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and four down, to make 16 chunky bars. Let cool completely.

Makes 16

Excerpted from Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson. Copyright (c) 2007 Nigella Lawson. Published in the U.S. by Hyperion. All Rights Reserved. Available wherever books are sold.

[cyndiallison]

Great ideas!

I will print that post out.

The kid swims and lifeguards, so I think choc chips are fine in the bars as he burns a lot of calories.

I was thinking also a trail mix that travels well.

Does anyone know if dried pineapple is good? We always get fresh.

The drive is a little over 2 hrs, so I can also make some treats before visiting some as well. His passion is my homemade cornbread which keeps OK and can be heated in the microwave. OK. Not so healthy. But a nice treat now and then I'd say.

[Robyn1007]

I am not a huge fan of dried pineapple but really like most other dried fruit. If he likes blueberries maybe he'd like dried blueberries? You might get more responses if you post this over on the Great Food board as well.

[cyndiallison]

I'm still learning my way around.

I KNOW he'll eat junk food too (-: but I hope I can slip in some "good for him" stuff" as well.

I looked at the dried pineapple slices at Trader Joe's today. Hum. They don't look real appealing. I have not tried them though.

[generic]

Does he like bananas? Trader Joe's has dried bananas called something clever like "Nothing but Bananas...Flattened." They don't look too purty, but man, are they good! They're like candy. Nothing added. No sugar, no oil, no preservatives.

[Bawstinn]

I can't think of any dried fruit that really looks appealing but I do like dried pineapple and dried mango.

Trader Joe's also sells trail mix. There is an antioxidant mix with dried berries and almonds and .. something else. Walnuts maybe. I like it as I am not a huge fan of chocolate in my trail mix.

[Gumbeaux]

I was thinking also a trail mix that travels well.

Does anyone know if dried pineapple is good? We always get fresh.


Maybe you could go to Whole Foods or a similar type store that sells trail mix and dried fruit by weight and purchase a very small amount of several different kinds. He could then try several different kinds and let you know which ones he likes the best.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/25/42136284_0b0e6a3c71.jpg

[cyndiallison]

I will check these out!

Yes. He does like bananas too.

Thanks!

I miss him already, and it's less than 24 hrs since I dropped him off.