There’s no doubt about it, when our kids get off the bus or hop into our cars after school they are usually hungry. While there is still a while to go before dinner, a healthy, filling snack is a great alternative.
Afternoon Snack Ideas (Back to School Special!)
Looking for some great after school snacks to get the kids excited? Here are a few quick afternoon snack ideas that you can make right at home.
Make and Take Mini Sandwiches
Forget the boring sliced bread for this quick, easy and filling snack! Pick up a few packages of your favorite dinner rolls (butter rolls, King’s Hawaiian, ciabatta rolls, etc.), any kind that can be sliced down the middle.
Have your kids favorite sandwich ingredients on hand. Turkey and cheese, peanut butter and jelly and egg salad are great for this! Your kids can make these sandwiches however they like but won’t be too full by the time dinner rolls around.
Fruit with Dipping Sauce
Cut up your child’s favorite fruit or already small size one, and give them a choice of peanut butter, Nutella or chocolate dipping sauce. Place the fruit in a bowl and allow them a couple of teaspoons of their choice of sauce on the side of the bowl or in a separate small ramekin.
Peanut butter, Nutella and other chocolate spreads can be heated up on the stove or in a microwave safe dish to make them easier to dip the fruit into. While this is a good way to get your kids to each more fruits, be careful not to do it with the sauce as most of these have a large amount of sugar.
Smoothies and Shakes
Whipping up a good smoothie or shake after school can provide your child with a portable, healthy option that can fill them up and sneak in key nutrients. With a blender, deposit your favorite fruits, veggies, juices and milk to create the perfect concoction.
Some examples would be a blueberry/banana smoothie with low-fat milk or a celery/cucumber smoothie with tomato juice. There are so many different combinations that your kids can play around with as far as tastes, thickness and ingredients.
Let them experiment with what they like and don’t like. Before long, they’ll have their favorite go-to options that will make nutritious liquid afternoon snack ideas!
Pita Bread Pizzas
All you need for this your favorite kind of pita bread, a good tomato or pizza sauce, some cheese and any meats and veggies you normally like on your pizza. Place the pita bread on a microwavable plate, top it as you would a regular pizza and pop in in the microwave until the cheese is fully melted (usually about 2 mins works good.)
These quick little pizzas are not only tasty but a good way to add another vegetable or protein serving to your child’s daily food intake.
Sweet and Salty To Go Bags
Using resealable sandwich bags, create a trail mix type concoction that you child can snack on while doing their homework, watching TV or on their way to a sports practice. You can literally make these to order!
Some neat idea: pretzel rods, dark chocolate pieces and almonds or rolled oats, M & M’s and small cheese crackers. Make sure you or your child fill these bags generously so that they make a decent snack! Search Pinterest for some neat combinations!
