School lunch packing season is upon us. Whether you started this week like some of us in the South or have a few more weeks to go, it's not too early to be thinking about school snacks. Our school asks us to send one snack to school and they provide an afternoon snack — usually a piece of fruit or dry cereal — so I like to get creative with my school snacks. This sort of zest for snack making will wear off by May, but here are 1o creative, easy-to-make-and-pack snacks that are perfect for school lunch.

Granola bars are like kid gold. These jammy granola bars won't be traded, even for Swiss cake roll. These are sweet enough to feel like a treat, but nutritious enough to qualify as breakfast (at least in our house).

I recently discovered that my daughter loves this creamy chia pudding. Pack it in lightweight plastic containers and you can make it the night before.

Did you know that you can turn almost any fruit juice or fruit purée into jello jigglers? And the results are fun and tasty. To make these easier to pick up out of the lunch box, spray the container with a little nonstick spray before adding the jigglers.

My kids love eating pepperoni slices out of hand, but turn them into chips for snacks and they couldn't be happier. These can be made up to two days in advance.

File this snack under "sounds fancy, but is totally low-key." This is basically salt and pepper popcorn with some Parmesan or Romano cheese. Pro tip: Save some for yourself to snack on later too (wine in hand optional).

I don't think I bake nearly as many muffins as I should, which is a shame because they are easy, filling, and can be used to hide vegetables from your children. Case in point? These olive oil carrot muffins.

Take your favorite chex mix combination and add dried pineapple, mango, and flakes of coconut to make a snack that is as fun as it is filling.

This is one of those unicorn recipes: It can be lunch, snacks, dinner, and possibly even breakfast. Everyone loves it and leftovers keep well. I love having these on hand for lunches and snacks during the school year.

I've made these blondies three times, and every time my kids think that I'm giving them a treat for snack time (and one of their teachers even asked for the recipe). These are rich, thick, and truly satisfying.

Forget everything you know about cloying-sweet popcorn balls. These bars are sweet-meets-savory and perfect for lunch packing.