4 Nostalgic Snacks for a Homemade School Lunch

Food can fuel us, nourish us and cheer us up, but did you know it also can teach us? It’s true! Packing school lunches day after day can feel daunting, but it’s an awesome opportunity to unleash your child’s creativity and help them see STEM concepts in action. Parents, take the stress out of asking, “What snacks do you want in your lunch this week?” by working with your child to bring these four nostalgic treats to life in your kitchen.

Cheddar Crackers

Using common ingredients like butter, cheese and flour, you can create your own crispy cheddar cracker squares! This three-step recipe is quick and easy, giving your child the opportunity to mix, measure and watch the dough transform into a delicious bite.

For extra fun, try making stencils of other shapes and designs that you can use to cut out the dough and customize your snack creation. There’s no limit to what you can create!

Toaster Pastries

What is more mouthwatering to a child than a sweet, warm Pop-Tart^®? This homemade version contains all the fun flavor with fully customizable fillings! While the recipe calls for a classic cinnamon sugar filling, you can easily swap it for jam, chocolate, pumpkin puree or any other household favorites.

Explore science by experimenting with temperature when baking. What happens if the butter isn’t cold, or you forget to chill the dough until firm? You might find that it makes the dough sticky and the final product unpleasantly tough. Together, you and your child can research the importance of butter temperature in baking and how it interacts with other ingredients to make the treats we love!

Animal Crackers

A sandy texture and sweet vanilla flavor make an animal cracker one of the ultimate comfort snacks. Just thinking about this classic treat can bring back the taste of childhood! Did you know that you can make your own in just five easy-to-follow steps? And depending on your ideal spice mix, you likely have what you need already in your kitchen.

Add cocoa powder to make chocolate animal crackers or try new spice mixes to make your own unique flavors!

Fruit-Filled Snack Squares

Though this recipe requires more steps than the others on our list, this fruit strip contains just three delicious ingredients – strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. The result? A chewy, melt-on-the-tongue fruit square!

The recipe mentions that humidity will make oven times longer, a common kitchen concern. Why do you think added moisture in the air changes the way our recipes come together? Put on your thinking caps and research how rainy days impact baking.

Keep Exploring

Check out our blog for more inspiration as you uncover STEM in the kitchen.