Food For Thought
After School Snack Ideas
They walk in the door and before you can even say “Hi, how was your day?” they’re saying “I’m hungry!”. It’s easy to grab a bag of chips, a cookie, or a can of pop but you want to offer them something different. You’re looking for quick and easy but
healthy too. Is there such a thing? You bet there is and I’m here to help you fill their empty bellies with after school snacks you can give your children with confidence. And don’t forget, preparing these snacks with your kids is a great time for some of the best conversations. You can find out a lot about your kids and their lives while talking and working in the kitchen together.
Here’s just a few ideas to get you thinking:
Mini Pizza – English muffin pizzas offer a healthy dose of calcium and are quick and easy to create. All that is needed are whole wheat English muffins, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese. Apply a bit of sauce to each muffin, and sprinkle with the cheese. Heat in the oven just until the cheese is melted. You can engage your kids in conversation as you prepare this snack together.
Fruit – A common after school snack, but you can spice it up by adding some a healthy fruit dip. Simply mix some plain low-fat yogurt, lemon juice and honey. You can experiment with this dip and change it up by adding some cocoa instead of lemon juice or molasses and cinnamon instead of honey. Use your creativity and your cupboards to their full potential. Your kids can help you by washing the fruits while you prepare the dip.
Mix It Up – Tossing together a variety of ingredients can make for a special blend of trail mix. Items such as almonds, popcorn, dried fruit, cashews, and pretzels, can be added to make a unique yet tasty snack. Consider the preferences of your children
when combining the foods for this snack. Trail mix will last for days, so you can make up a big Rubbermaid bowl full over the weekend for a quick snack that requires no preparation.
For more snack ideas check out my Snack Series here: https://savingdinner.com/articles/snack-series/