Healthy After-School Snacks Your Kids Will Eat

After school is a great time to capitalize on your child’s hunger and squeeze in a healthy snack. The “don’t ask” strategy is a great trick for parents and caregivers to try. Instead of asking what they want, simply have a healthy snack laid out for the kids as they come in the door. Kids who are really hungry are more likely to eat whatever you offer.

Fill Nutritional Gaps at Snack Time

Ideally, snacks should fill nutritional gaps and provide servings of at least two of the five main food groups. It probably comes as no surprise that most kids don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Snack time is the perfect opportunity to help them meet their quota.

Some easy options include:

• Whole fruits like apples, oranges, pears, and grapes
• Cut vegetables served with light ranch dressing or hummus. Keep a couple of bags of baby carrots on hand, or cut vegetables yourself, and store them in produce bags or containers for quick access.

Get Creative with Fruits and Vegetables

Being creative with how you serve fruits and vegetables is another way to get kids to eat more of these essential foods. Check out these kid-tested healthy ideas:

• Mix ½ cup canned pumpkin with ½ cup vanilla nonfat yogurt and ½ teaspoon cinnamon for a wonderful fall dip. Serve with apple slices.
• Spread natural peanut butter (or other nut butter) on a whole grain tortilla and sprinkle with shredded carrots and raisins or dried cranberries. Roll up tightly and slice crosswise into rounds. Or try our good ‘n healthy Peanut Butter & Banana Roll Ups.
• Top whole grain Triscuit crackers with pizza or spaghetti sauce, shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, and leftover steamed broccoli or other vegetables. Microwave until the cheese is melted for a great mini-pizza snack.

Combining foods your children like with new some items is a great way to help them expand their palates. So give our healthy snacks a try and encourage your kids to come up with their own ideas too. Together, you can make after school time a nutritional win!