The kids are always starving after school. I guess all that learning must make them very hungry. With so many extra curricular activities, we need a hearty afternoon snack that is easy to prepare. When shopping for a hearty after school snack there are a few things that I keep in mind such as: ease of preparation, nutritional value, price, and whether or not it will keep the kids full until dinner. Hot Pockets fit the bill perfectly.
Hot Pockets are a Hearty After School Snack
I’m glad that Hot Pockets come in so many varieties, so the kids won’t get bored of them. Our local Walmart has a great selection of Hot Pockets. I try to mix it up a bit and get some of each: original variety, Crispy Crust, Croissant Crust, and Lean Pockets. Our Walmart carries the new Snackers which are more of a bit size (or two) version of the Hot Pocket. They come in some really fun flavors like Fiesta Nacho Bites and Loaded Baked Potato Skin Bites. I love that there are even Lean Pockets available for us moms who are watching our waistline!
Hot Pockets are pretty affordable. Our local Walmart sells them for just $2.18 per box. There is even a large value pack available that I pick up when I have the available freezer space. Sometimes I take them out of the box and wedge them into the freezer wherever they will fit to take advantage of this savings.
One of the things I really like about Hot Pockets is that they can be prepared in the microwave and they come out really well. So often foods give microwave instructions but then they come out hard and unappetizing. Hot Pockets are just as good from the microwave, as they are from the oven. I love that the kids can do this themselves.
We eat dinner pretty late in the evening, so a hearty afternoon snack is really important. Hot Pockets do the job of keeping the kids bellies full during cheerleading practice.
Check out our Hot Pockets Google+ Album to see more of this fun shop and how we enjoy Hot Pockets after school!
It’s so great to have one easy-to-prepare snack that the whole family enjoys! What do your kids like to snack on after school? Are Hot Pockets on the menu at your house?
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Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle #CBias #SocialFabric
A “healthy” snack??? Flip the box over, they are about as healthy as a McDonalds cheeseburger. And are those jalapeno poppers on the plate in that last picture?? Aren’t we supposed to be teaching our kids healthy eating? There are sooo many more options for after school snacks that are much healthier. I’m disappointed in this post.
@Jen – nowhere in this post did we use the word “healthy”. It is a hearty snack.
My kids and I eat a lot of organic and “healthy” foods, but even we have an emergency box of Hot Pockets. Anything in moderation can fit into a healthy diet. I think this is a great choice for an afternoon snack if the kids are in the mood for it.
My kids love hot pockets
Hot Pockets ARE a hearty snack – just as the author said. Yes, we try to keep our kids eating healthy food but don’t you have in indulgance every once in a while? My son loves Hot Pockets and while I don’t feed them to him every day, they are a great after school treat for times that he want’s something a little more filling and cheesy. I grew up eating Hot Pockets and loved them and think it’s great that our kids can now have that indulgance every once in a while!
We enjoy the occasional lean pocket when we are short on time.
I didn’t see the mention of healthy in the post – but I don’t find anything wrong with allowing kids to indulge once in a while. It’s when you deprive them of these indulgences that seems to cause problems (binging, splurging etc…)
We love Hot Pockets, and I apologize in advance for not being June Cleaver and hand preparing every meal and snack daily. I have kids, a job and tons of responsibility – if they’re eating I’m happy!
I love hot pockets! They make a quick snack when I’m in a hurry and it’s great to grab something from my freezer without having to take extra time or money getting something on the go.
Oh, little tiny cute hot pockets! They are a hearty snack- and we have all got times when we’re in a pinch.
Signed, the girl who has an enormous organically grown garden in the yard.
Everything in moderation.
I agree they are a hearty snack. They do have so many flavors that once in a while its a nice treat. I think that many times we try to over teach our children to eat healthy, thinking we are teaching them to only choose healthy snacks/meals. When in reality we are teaching them there is no real option then when given the choice they choose bad as teens and adults. Lets teach our children that once in a while treats like Hotpockets are fine as long as it isn’t every day.
Thank you for this post I appreciate your input on these.
Yes, we occasionally enjoy a Hot Pocket here. Especially the Ham and Cheese. I was so sad to see them do away with the Croissant Pockets. YUMMM! I agree that they aren’t healthy and should be eaten in moderation. But you didn’t say they were a health food. You had mentioned them being hearty. And I will agree. A Hearty Snack, especially for those days when you will only be home for a few minutes between activities
I did not know they had a new “pretzel” one! Very interesting… YUM!