Our family was hit with that gnarly flu last month, and everything got thrown out of whack around our house. It's all errands and doctor appointments and an obnoxious amount of time spent in the car while we get back up to speed. In order to avoid the drive-thru as much as possible, I've been toting along veggie muffins as a handy (and healthy!) snack.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Veggie muffins? Seriously, Chelsea? Stick with me for a minute! They don't taste like vegetables. These muffins from our sponsor Garden Lites have vegetables as their first ingredient, but that flavor's overpowered by cocoa powder, cocoa butter and semisweet chocolate chips. They're free of dairy, nuts, soy, and gluten – so I can eat them, too! These things are great for the whole family.
Veggie Muffins + Errand Day = Success
These veggie muffins are freezer-friendly, so I can keep a bunch on hand and quickly grab a box when we're running out the door. They thaw quickly, and they're the perfect temperature for a pick-me-up snack right when we reach hour 4 of errand-running. So that's basically after one stop at Target, if you're as painfully slow as we are.
Pro tip? These are actually sold in Target, too.
Target for the win!
With all the middle-of-nowhere photoshoots and camping we do, we find ourselves away from stores a lot, too. That's when the handiness of these veggie muffins really shines. I can pull a box out anywhere, anytime, and know that the kids will be filled up for quite awhile.
I do often try to pack sandwiches when we're going to be on the road a bunch throughout the day, but sometimes things are impromptu and life is busy, ya know? Plus, it's nice to always be confident that there is something quick and easy on-hand that the kids absolutely love. They see a box emerge and their eyes gleam. They'll sit there quietly – on their very best behavior – making sure that they don't do anything to cause their awaited treat to be delayed. It's the most genius mom trick ever!
Want to hear a funny story? We actually finished our shoot with these veggie muffins, and I had the box laying nearby while I fiddled with my camera. I looked over to see the kids totally devouring the remaining veggie muffins with complete abandon, as joyous and indulgent as a teenager lounging in front of The Bachelor with a bowl full of popcorn.
They FROZE. As if I'm a T-Rex. Like perhaps if they didn't move, I couldn't see what they were doing.
Good thing THEY didn't know that they were actually gobbling up a bunch of vegetables disguised as chocolate treats!
Browse the store locator to pick some up near you. Next week, we'll share another product from Garden Lites that helps make our on-the-go life even easier. Check back for that!
Do you have any clever hacks like our veggie muffin trick to keep energy up when you have a lot to get done in a day?