Their tummies start rumbling the second the last bell rings. Fill them up with these healthy after-school snacks. They’re so easy, the kids can make them!
School is back in session, and it’s already happened.
The kids rushed in the door and immediately headed to the kitchen. One opened the pantry while the other one opened the fridge.
“We are hungry,” they announced in unison. “Can we have …”
Fill in the blank with any number of foods their eyes settled on. Before I could even speak, hands were reaching for bags of pretzels or veggie straws.
While I don’t see anything wrong with those, I wanted them to have something healthier to munch on. Something that would feed their growing bodies and minds.
That day, I was unprepared, so I resolved to have some healthier options the next afternoon. As such, I came up with 12 healthy snacks that are easy to make requiring little prep time (because we all know ain’t nobody got time for complicated) and perfect for the after school munchies
Maybe these will help you! And on a positive note, your kids could even make most of these for themselves.
1) Apples and Peanut Butter (Or Almond, Sunflower, etc.)
This one is pretty much a staple for snack time. You can have it prepared for them by cutting the apples and sprinkling with a little lemon juice. Put their favorite nut butter in a bowl and voila!
You can spice up it up a little by sprinkling cinnamon over the nut butter or mixing a little honey in to sweeten the deal.
2) Veggies and Hummus
Another staple for some snackage, veggies and hummus are a must-have around our house. My kids use celery, carrots, sugar snap peas, avocado, and cucumbers for dipping, but you can also use bell peppers (my hubby’s fav), broccoli or any number of other veggies.
Check the ingredients on your favorite hummus to make sure there is nothing unnecessary. Or if you are really feeling it, make a big batch yourself and store appropriately.
3) Ants on a Log
This is such a fun easy snack. Take some small celery sticks and smear peanut butter down the center. Place 3 or 4 raisins on the peanut butter, or if you kids don’t like raisins, you can use dark chocolate chips 70% cocoa or higher.
4) Kale Chips
This one requires a little bit of prep, but you can have it ready when they get home. Take some kale and tear it into pieces. Please on a cookie sheet and drizzle or spray with olive oil. Sprinkle salt or other seasonings and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
Just keep an eye on them. If you desire more crunchiness, leave them in a little longer. You can also sprinkle parmesan on them.
While I love making them from fresh Kale, you can also buy kale chips as well.
5) Frozen Yogurt
Especially on hot days, something cool just hits the spot. Of course, ice cream is not really healthy, so how about some frozen yogurt.
Yogurt squeezers are perfect for throwing in the freezer to eat just like a popsicle.
I like the Stonyfield Organic ones. They have 25-40% less sugar that other kids’ yogurt and are made with certified organic, non-GMO ingredients. Since each cup is always made without the use of toxic pesticides, artificial hormones, or antibiotics, I feel good about giving them to my kids.
Freezing YoKids pouches or squeezers and packing them in your little one’s lunch box is also great way to have yogurt perfectly thawed just in time for a healthy lunch or snack at school.
6) Baked Homemade Fries
My hubby recently told me that when he was a kid, his grandmother would take them to McDonald’s a couple of times to a week to get fries as an after-school snack. Not the healthiest of treats, but who doesn’t love a good fried potato.
So how can we healthify french fries? Well, take your potatoes or sweet potatoes (preferably organic), and slice them using your favorite crinkle cutter or just a regular old knife. Drizzle them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with their favorite seasoning and bake at 450 for about 45 minutes.
7) Bowl of Berries
My kids love berries and will devour a container of strawberries or any kind of berry within minutes.
This one is pretty simple. Just take their favorite berries and mix them all together into a big bowl. I usually quarter the strawberries to make them stretch a little further.
You could also provide some yogurt that they can dip or mix the fruit into. I would recommend Stonyfield’s Organic YoKids Yogurt cups.
8) Pinwheels
Otherwise known as a wrap cut into small sections.
Take your favorite wraps and load them with ham, turkey, salami or any combination of meats (check your ingredients here. Lunch meat is notorious for having unnecessary ingredients). Add lettuce, their favorite spread or sauce, or any number of other ingredients.
Roll up the wrap and cut into small sections.
9) Cheese and Crackers
And, no, I’m not talking about a can of easy cheese. (I shudder thinking about how I used to eat that stuff…haha).
Slice up your child’s favorite cheese and add some whole grain crackers for a quick easy snack.
You can even add a little piece of pepperoni or ham on top. (Again, make sure you check your pepperoni ingredients. It’s been hard to find one without lots of additives.)
10) Smoothies or Parfaits
For a parfait, layer Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt, granola and fruit a couple of times, and dig in.
Smoothies are a quick and easy way to get drink your fruits and veggies, even for the kids. Take some yogurt and berries. Throw in a couple of pieces of kale in there. Blend and serve.
To make it even easier, you can grab a pack of Stonyfield YoKids Organic Smoothies.
11) Snack mix
Throw some whole grain cereal, nuts, popcorn and dark chocolate chips into a bowl, and Voila! Instant snack mix.
12) Banana Split
No, not the kind with ice cream but made with yogurt instead.
Take a banana and cut it in half but don’t cut all the way through. Leave a little bit connected. Scoop or sueeze some yogurt between the banana halves and garnish with strawberries, blueberries, or any other fruit. Drizzle some melted dark chocolate over it and serve.
I like to put the yogurt in the freezer for a little while so that it is not quite froze but not as runny as normal.
If you need other snack ideas, you can check out FREE 10 Snacks Your Kids Can Make by my friend Katie and Kitchen Stewardship!
Leave a Comment